


By The Creed

by KrayzyKatt



Category: Naruto
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 03:23:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10913304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrayzyKatt/pseuds/KrayzyKatt
Summary: From the time I could walk, I've been training. Training so that I could become the royal protector of the heiress of Sector Iota. Now that I'm here, I'd much rather be dead. The royal family tries my patience everyday especially her. Little did I know, it got so much worse. Looks like I wasn't the only one with secrets.





	1. Chapter One

**Hello everyone! A friend recommended this site to me to continue uploading Fanfiction. I have been posting this story to Fanfiction.net but to widen the viewers, I've come here to post as well. Feel free to check me out on either site but I have my other works posted to Fanfiction.net. I'll use this story to begin my posts to this site as I continue updating in the future. So to my new readers, I hope you enjoy! I'll be posting the next few chapters I have shortly!  
  
** **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

* * *

_**Chapter One** _

_"She sure is pretty, isn't she mama?"_

_My eyes lingered on the girl, surrounded by men in suits as another man held her hand. Her blonde hair curled into little ringlets around her head and her stunning blue eyes shimmered like the brightest of diamonds._

_"That she is my love. As are you," my mother assured._

_I shook my head, eyes continuing to follow her. For a second, our eyes met and unable to contain myself, I eagerly waved._

_She didn't._

_She frowned, forcing her eyes back dead ahead before disappearing into the limousine aside her father. Her response intrigued me but also confused me. "Come now, you must get ready," my mother voiced, ushering me to climb down from the ledge._

_But I had questions._

_"Mama?"_

_"_ Yes _dear?"_

_"Why didn't she wave back?" I asked innocently, wondering if perhaps I'd done something wrong or offended her in a way I hadn't intended._

_My mother grew silent, sigh parting her slightly cracked lips. Turning to me slowly, she bent down to me, fingers resting on my shoulder. In a hushed voice, she said, "Because...she's a very important girl, my love. Her father rules our Sector and being his only child, she's going to take over some day."_

_Shaking my head, confusion etched on my lips, I mumbled, "What does that mean?"_

_"It means," she began,_ broken _smile on her lips as she continued, "It means, that she is above the rest of us, my dear Sakura. The Sector Families live their lives with elitist attitudes and encourage their children to do the same. She's already been taught to look down on anyone beneath her. She isn't interested in being friends."_

_"Why?"_

_"Enough questions for_ one day _dear. You must be off to training soon." I rolled my eyes, taking her hand as she guided me back down the alley through which we'd come. Unable to push the girl's unusual behavior out of my head, I turned to glance back at the now empty street. Sidewalks cleared as the girl and her father made their way to some unknown destination._

Throughout the day, as I trained, ate supper, lay awake with arms behind my head, I wondered. Wondered if I'd ever get a chance to make her smile.

* * *

 

Glancing at my now empty room, I couldn't help but feel an emptiness inside me as well.

I'd spent all nineteen years of my life in this place and now, I was leaving it all behind. Forever. Doing my last walkthrough, I found my eyes trailing over each and every imperfection decorating this place. This was my home. The only one I'd ever known.

Now I was leaving it all behind.

A painful tugging in my heart forced me to a standstill. I lingered in the hallway, peeking into the empty room that once belonged to my mother. I hadn't set foot inside in almost ten years and even now, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I could only tear my eyes away and keep walking.

Everything checked out okay and with a final glance, I locked that door behind me for the last time. Bags slung over my shoulder, I trudged down the stairs, making my way to the residential office. Setting down my bags, I wasted no time in making my way to the office of woman who'd kept an eye on me since my mother's passing.

She'd been expecting me too it seemed.

Graying hair pulled back into a neat bun, glasses adorning her face. She looked very much like her age but I wasn't surprised. Smiling weakly, I handed her back my keys. For a moment, we looked at each other, eyes locked in a silent exchange.

Finally, she pulled me into a hug.

"So this is it, huh kid?"

Patting her back, I released the breath I'd been holding. "Yeah Lina, this is it."

"Your mother would've been so proud," she whispered as I tightened my hold. I knew better than to cry. Instead, I forced my teeth as deep into my tongue as they could go until I tasted blood.

Eventually, I pulled away.

"I can't stay long, a driver should be arriving soon." She followed me to the front, wiping her eyes furiously.

I really wished that things worked out better. That life wasn't always one big game you played, waiting to see how long it took for you to get fucked over. Because you always, got fucked over. That part was inevitable.

Ever since my mother had passed, I recalled my promise.

To train hard enough to beat everyone else in my class. To be the winner that would inevitably become the slave to the Sector heads in exchange for a heaping bit of financial security as well as perks and protection that extended to me and my family. But in this case, it was just me.

My parents were both dead and I was an only child.

I was on my own from here on out.

The sound of a horn impatiently signalling for me no doubt brought me back to the present. With another quick hug, I whispered for her to take care of herself. I shut the door behind me, placing my things in the car as I climbed in.

This was my home.

No matter where I went. This would always be my home.

Even though I'd never be allowed back.

"We haven't had a female win the competition in years. You're already making headlines."

Eyes shut, I listened to the voice of the driver, offering only a simple grunt in return as we pulled up to the large estate belonging to the Head of Sector Iota. I rolled my eyes, not surprised in the least that they lived in a place like this. Hiding behind all of their expensive material, completely shut off from the rest of us.

Blind and unaware to the real world and it's problems.

Eating quality food made by butlers while the rest of the Sector starved. Having guards protect you while you slept while robberies and murders took place in the night. They'd never be able to understand and they weren't expected too.

They didn't have to understand my world or who I was.

They simply had to pay me to do my duty and I would.

"Come now, the Head Iota is ready to see you. Then you'll meet the girl," the driver exclaimed with a hint of excitement in his voice.

I nodded, accepting my instructions as I climbed from the limo. Climbing the steps, I waited, allowing someone to get the door for me. "Don't forget your manners kid. Lord Inoichi is very generous and kind, the most of any of them, but don't cross him. Stay in your place," a guard warned sternly.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

I was far from stupid, I knew how to respect my higher ups. Given that I wasn't disrespected first of course.

Stepping into the large lobby, I looked for the man of interest. Finding him immediately, I slowly stepped forward, resting on one knee as I bowed my head in respect for the man who held my life in the palm of his hands. Which I'm sure he was well aware of.

"Lord Inoichi. An honor to meet you, I'm ready for my orders sir," I told him, eyes not meeting his until he told me I could stand.

He stood there, suit adorning his body as a cigar hung from his lips. Grin revealing perfect white teeth, he extended his hand in greeting. Nervously looking between him and his guards, I followed suit. Slapping our hands together, he pulled me in and squeezed my shoulder. "No need for formalities kid. Don't think of this as a job but rather a favor of sorts, hm? You won't be treated any less than I treat those that do favors for me. As long as you don't fuck this up, you'll be perfectly fine. Got it."

I nodded.

He grinned, "Perfect. Because I'm sure you're well aware of what happens to people who disobey me?"

"Yes, Sir." I agreed.

Nodding, he redirected his attention to a young woman, perhaps only a year or two older than me. Red hair pulled into a low ponytail and eyes a warm colored chocolate were her most apparent features. "Esmè, have my daughter escorted down. Her things have already been taken care of I'm sure?"

She nodded quickly, "Yes Lord Inoichi, everything is ready for the young lady. I will grab her right away."

My eyes flickered between her retreating form and the parts of the estate that I could see. Clearing his throat and assuming his expected elitist attitude, Inoichi mumbled, "Now, I assure you that compared to my daughter, I'm a saint. I'm afraid she's acquired her mother's temperament, God rest her soul. While this is strictly business, I do recommend that you do try to remain on her good side."

"Noted," I replied calmly.

Of course I needed to be on her good side. If I had any intentions of keeping my head attached to my shoulders, I'd do as she said.

Finally, the young woman named Esmè returned.

Following behind her was none other than the girl who I had last seen thirteen years ago. Her blonde hair had darkened only slightly from her platinum coloring, leaving it with a healthy golden glow. Her blue eyes hadn't changed a bit, still comparing to the most extravagant of jewels.

She had definitely grown up since then.

Filled out in all the right places and everything. However, no matter how attractive she'd grown, I knew what she was like. She completely ignored my presence, as expected. "Daddy," she acknowledged, pressing a swift kiss on his cheek as he returned the gesture eagerly.

Finally, our eyes connected.

Immediately, I could feel the displeasure of seeing my face.

Brow arched and scowl heavy, she mumbled, "You're kidding me…"

Well it wasn't exactly a pleasure to see your face either but I'd keep my comments to myself. I hadn't even officially started yet and I was already off to a horrible start. Her father only chuckled, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"Now now, this one is one of Sector Iota's best. Graduated from the top of the academy with the highest marks in everything. She's the best there is," he marveled, causing me to smirk inwardly at the recognition of my skills.

Unsurprisingly enough, she wasn't impressed.

"Daddy," she whined, "She's a girl."

No fucking shit. So are you. I could see already that this girl was going to be a major pain to work with. Unfortunately for me, I was in no room to complain. I'd have to deal with this girl and her annoying complaining for the next four years of my life, assuming I didn't get myself killed first.

"Why yes, she is. A very talented girl at that. Better her than some idiot boy who won't be able to keep his dick in his pants and while I do love you, I don't trust you with them," he finished.

Ah. The sweet face of defeat.

I could see the loathing in her eyes but it didn't matter. I doubted our next four years together would be any more pleasant than our current interaction.

Taking her chin, he forced her to look at him. In a stern voice, he asked, "Who are you?"

With a sigh, she recited a speech I'm sure she'd given a thousand times before.

"I am Lady Ino Yamanaka. The only heiress to the Yamanaka fortune and the next rightful ruler of Sector Iota. I will perform my duties without question. I will not allow outside influences to impede my studies and work. I will continue to make this family proud and bring honor to the Yamanaka name," she finished, following the tug of her father into a hug.

"That's my girl."

I looked away, allowing them to continue with their moment until Inoichi called for me to come before them. As I approached, the condescending look from Ino never left. The Lord's nod forced me to my knee as I bowed respectfully, reciting my own creed as she had done.

"My Lady Ino. I, Sakura Haruno exist only to serve and protect you as you see fit. I shall do as I am instructed, no more, no less. I will fight for your life, gladly laying down my own life in exchange. I am nothing. I come from nothing. I'll die with nothing. This is my assignment, my oath, my creed. I am bounded to it by death or until you see fit to release me," I finished, keeping my head down.

"Rise then," she ordered.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I did so slowly. We stood, eyes coldly staring into the other's. She hated me, I knew it. But I didn't care. She could go on hating me until the day that I died. Personally, I could give two shits about whether she liked me or not. I was only her faithful bodyguard. Doing as I was instructed to ensure that she was safe at all times.

A chuckle broke the silence as her father rested his hands on our shoulders, "Easy now. You two are going to be spending a lot of time together. I suggest you play nicely, hmm?"

I nodded.

She scoffed.

He laughed, ruffling both of our heads. "Also, Sakura. I hear you're quite fond of animals. It's mostly to help ensure your duties are carried out to the best of your abilities but think of it also as a gift." Clapping his hands, I turned to see a young man walking towards me. In his arms, a small furry dog perhaps only a few months old.

"Sir? What's this?"

Raising a brow, he scowled, "It's a dog. I trust you've seen one before yes?"

Obviously.

"Purebred German Shepherd in fact. He's a little over four months but they grow fast. You'll train him well to assist you in keeping my daughter safe. Name him whatever you like," he finished, bringing the cigar back to his lips. Next I know, the dog is being dropped in my hands, staring at me in confusion.

I voiced my appreciation with a soft thanks.

I wasn't exactly sure what I'd do with the thing, having never actually raised a dog in my life. But I'd figure it out. Hopefully he'd help me out in the long run. I'd only be able to tolerate Ino's behavior for so long before I eventually lost it.

"You two will have your own living arrangements within the same apartment. I've spared no expense and all of your necessities will be taken care of, you need only call. Any wants will also be taken care of but try not to draw too much attention to yourselves. Other than that, you both are off. You'll need to get settled in and ready for classes on Tuesday," he finished with a careful glance between the two of us.

Kissing her cheek, Inoichi dismissed us as he returned behind some door leading to somewhere I didn't know.

Brushing past me with a huff, I followed Ino outside, awkwardly trying to hold onto the squirming bundle of fur in my arms. Climbing back into the limo, I sat opposite of Ino who wasted no time in ignoring me completely.

The ride continued in unbearable silence until we reached campus.

Everything was taken from the car, all that was left was for us to check in. Following her lead, Ino and I continued up the elevator to our floor. A man greeted us, handing over our keys and explaining everything we needed to know.

Sooner than I would've liked, we were alone.

Placing the dog on the floor, I watched him scurry off to God knows where. Turning to face Ino, I was surprised to see her stepping over to me with quick strides. I towered over her by several inches and yet she wasn't the least bit intimidated. Index finger jamming into my chest, she spat.

"Let's get one thing clear," she hissed, "I'm not here to be your friend. You work for me and that's it. I could give a rat's ass whether or not you get killed out there. Don't speak to me unless I tell you and stay out of my way. Is that clear?

Eyes narrowed, I leaned down and snapped just as coldly through clenched teeth, "Crystal."

Smirking, she spun on her heel and retreated to her room. Fucking good riddance. Plopping on the couch, I tugged on the necklace hanging around my neck. My last reminder of my mother. If only she were here to talk me through this.

After all, I had the feeling that this was just the beginning of rest of the hell I was getting ready to endure with this girl.

* * *

 


	2. Chapter Two

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Two** _

"If I may introduce myself, I am Quartermaster Jonas."

With her on one couch and me on the other, Ino and I focused our attention on the stocky gentleman standing before us.

They had woken the both of us from sleep and while I was used to being up before the sun itself had a chance to rise above the horizon, Ino on the other hand, was not. I watched, masking my amusement the best I could as she glared Jonas down.

If only looks could kill.

And the poor man looked very much like he wanted to die right about now.

Swallowing nervously, he continued, "Lady Ino. Your father has asked me to serve as an emissary for any requests that you and your protector might have. Wants and needs alike, you need only ask and I shall deliver." Fingers tapping impatiently on the arm of the sofa she claimed, Ino sighed and chastised, "First of all, let's be clear of something. Jonah, was it?"

"Act-Actually, my Lady. It's Jonas."

"Unimportant. You work for me, not the other way around. I will  _ask_  for nothing. I will simply command and you'll obey. Otherwise, I'll see to it that you lose your job as well as your head. Understand?" She finished, eyes never once losing that heated glare.

He nodded quickly, apologizing wholeheartedly as he bowed his head in respect.

Unable to pretend like her arrogance didn't bother me, I sighed and rose to my feet, completely intent on returning to my room.

"I'm sorry. Did I dismiss you?"

Teeth pressing together until I felt an ache in my jaw, I threw her a look over my shoulder. One that clearly instructed her to piss off. She didn't so much as bat a perfect eyelash. Instead, she pointed an elegant finger at the seat I once claimed in a silent order for me to sit.

Though not without expressing my obvious agitation, I obliged.

Clearing his throat, Jonas continued with his little speech. "Also, Sakura, as Lady Ino's protector, there are some things that you should know."

"Such as?"

"First, you will be attending school alongside Lady Ino. You are required to follow her studies in case she may need extra assistance. The only time you will be apart from her is every Saturday. You will be allowed to explore the Sector within city limits to give you time for yourself. In the event that you are unable to keep an eye on her, another guard will step in until you are able to return," he informed.

I nodded, not entirely thrilled about having to attend school.

But I suppose it would be nice to have a higher education covered at no extra cost to myself.

However, I had a feeling that there was more to this story than Jonas was letting on. As if he could sense my skepticism, he quickly rushed out, "You will be meeting with another today. Sir Kakashi will be your overseer. He will instruct and inform you of any other important duties that you will have. Lady Ino will remain here while you and Sir Kakashi get better acquainted. Time is of the essence."

I didn't move.

Didn't bother budging in the slightest.

Taking the bait like I knew she would, Ino wasted no time in snapping at me. "Didn't you hear him? Time is of the essence." Smirk twitching onto my lips, I cooly answered, "I was simply waiting for your  _dismissal_ , Lady Ino."

Nails digging into the innocent fabric of the sofa, she swiftly rose from her seat. Arms folded over her chest, she leaned down until our eyes were perfectly leveled.

"You think you're clever, don't you Haruno?"

I knew better than to answer her question.

Shoving my hands deeper into my pants pockets, I simply held her icy stare as best as I could. Leaning to my ear, she whispered, "Let me be the first to tell you, you aren't. You think these are idle threats, they aren't. All I need is for you to give me a reason to have a bullet put through your skull and it'll be done, no questions asked. So I'll repeat,  _time is of the essence_."

And like the obedient dog I was, I rose from my seat, apologized with a bow of my head and retreated to my room to prepare for the day.

And from the looks of it, a rather long day at that.

* * *

"What's the pup's name then?"

"Aris. Short for Aristotle."

"Ah. A lover of the philosophical sciences?"

Kakashi was more talkative than I had expected him to be. He also didn't look quite as I had expected. His silver spiked hair and mask covering the lower part of his face were magnets for my curiosity. However, what I was most fascinated with was the scar running along his left eye.

It was likely that he had gotten it in the line of duty.

Perhaps, if I grew fond of him enough, he'd come to tell me of how he acquired it.

For now, our conversation was light. I had taken Aris with me to meet him, figuring it only made sense seeing as we had decided to meet in some sort of desolate park. We had introduced ourselves and so far, not much information was received regarding my duties.

"Ah," I finally responded to his question, "He was the philosopher I admired the most. We celebrated his studies and ideas back where I'm from."

"Which is?"

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I shook my head, "Nowhere important."

It hurt to admit it but I'm sure Kakashi understood. Once you became a protector of Sector Royalty, you were bound by death. None ever returned home. They either failed their mission and were executed or still worked for the royal family they served.

Looking for a reason to change the subject, I asked, "What exactly do you do anyways?"

Leaning back against the bench, eyes cast upwards, he drew in a breath. "I'm an overseer, for all of the royal protectors. You are not the only one, both fortunately and unfortunately enough for you." Shock evident on my face, I couldn't suppress the slight peak of interest stemming from his words.

"There are others?"

"Of course. Twenty-four of you to be exact."

"How?"

"Well," he began, fingers weaving through his hair. "Best to start with the basics. There are twenty-four sectors, each with it's own head. The heads of each sector will only procreate once every so often. They do so around the same time to ensure that each new heir or heiress comes of age together."

Mind quickly pulling the information together, I took a shot in the dark.

"So the children of the sectors train until they come of age. Whoever completes the exams and beats everyone else becomes the protector of the new heir of their sector?"

Chuckling softly, he ruffled my hair, "They were right. You are a smart one."

Knocking his hand away, I sighed in relief. So there were others like me. I wasn't the only one enduring this hell it would seem.

Picking up on my curiosity, it would seem that Kakashi already had all the answers I seeked.

"Each of the twenty-four heirs and heiresses will attend this university. Rather than placing them in one fancy academy where they'd all be sitting ducks, they are placed here to blend in. With their protectors mixed in with the group, it makes their lives that much easier. As if it were ever difficult to begin with," he finished jokingly.

My lips twitched softly.

Yeah, as if.

"So what do you do with the other twenty-three like me?"

Shrugging, he simply replied, "I keep you all in check. I make sure none of your skills are lacking when we meet up on your day off. I'm an outlet for when you need to vent and I deal with incoming and outgoing reports that threaten the safety of the royal heirs. You all will meet next Saturday so look forward to making new friends and possible enemies."

Rolling my eyes, I called Aris over, securing his harness as I rose to my feet.

Brow raised as Kakashi continued to remain seated, I asked for the sake of asking, "Anything else I need to know?"

Finally, with a grunt of annoyance, he too stood. Nodding, he answered, "While it is currently uncertain as to whether or not this will apply to you, I'll warn you now. It is forbidden to pursue any romantic relations with any of the heirs. Many of them have already been promised to either other heirs from this country or from another. It is cause for immediate punishment and rest assured, they won't go easy on you. As for other protectors, while not forbidden, it isn't recommended. Some of you may die or may not be permitted to see each other after the heirs graduate. Not the best predicament. You're better off alone."

Alone.

As if that was anything new for me.

I'd been alone for years and solitude was something I had perfected. After all, it was written in my creed. I am nothing, I come from nothing and I'll die with nothing.

* * *

_"Mama?"_

_"What is it dear?"_

_I debated for the longest time, if it were appropriate for me to ask such a question. Yet as most children my age were, I was a tad on the curious side. Knowledge was power after all. On the other hand, curiosity killed the cat._

_I didn't want to end up being the cat._

_I watched the spoon swirling around in the bowl of lukewarm milk before forcing my eyes to my mother's. Chewing my lip, I cautiously asked, "Mama, why don't we have a lot of money? You know...like the princess' family?" The hardening of her eyes was immediate as was my regret of asking the question in the first place._

_Ceasing her washing of the few dishes we did have, she closed the distance between us, drying her hands on her dress._

_"Where is this coming from?"_

_I shrunk down into my seat, feet dangling a few inches from the floor._

_I might not have been old enough to understand some things but I understood other things better than most. I didn't hate the princess. I didn't hate anyone. I was just...confused. I simply wanted to know why things were the way they were._

_Why were we less fortunate than her?_

_Understanding the conflict going on within the depths of my heart, my mother sighed. Taking my chin, she softly said, "Everything happens for a reason, my love. I believe that the ultimate ruler has a plan for everyone. That we are all a part of something much bigger than we know. But to achieve that, first we must learn our place. Do you remember yours?"_

_I nodded._

_Of course I did. How could I forget?_

_"My place is here. Once my training is complete and I come of age, my place will be beside Lady Ino. Serving her until the day I take my last breath," I huffed, staring hopefully back into my mother's empty blue eyes._

_Looking at those eyes only made my heart ache that much more._

_Knowing that she wasn't at all who she used to be was unsettling._

_She pulled me against her, lips pressing against my temple as she brushed back my hair. I allowed her to hold me, softly whimpering as she fought to pull herself together. It hurt, knowing that I couldn't help her._

_All I could do was sit here._

_Helpless and depending on her to be strong for the both of us._

_I made a vow that night, losing myself to my thoughts shortly after she tucked me in. I made the vow that I would train harder. Day in and day out. Study whenever I could and learn as much as I could. Hoping that maybe someday, I'd get my mom out of here._

_Put her in a house on top of a hill where she belonged._

_To repay her for all of the nights she spent wiping away my tears with no one to wipe away her own._

_Unfortunately for me, life saw it fit that I'd never get the chance to repay her. So at the tender age of eight, I was left to pick up where she left off. Wiping away my own tears with no help from anyone._

* * *

Kill me.

I'd be okay with it.

I'd accept my death with dignity, I needed only someone to deliver the striking blow. Of all the demeaning things I'd ever been subjected to. This was undoubtedly the worst. Looking in the mirror, I sighed, trying to come to terms with Ino's first attempt in pissing me off.

"A collar."

"Uh huh." Kakashi chuckled, leaning in the doorway as I inspected the strap of leather around my neck. The sad part, it honestly wouldn't have been that bad. A simple leather black band wasn't too hard to ignore.

No.

The worst part was the tags.

With every move I made, the silver tags with my name and address for the apartment jingled about. Mocking me. Reminding me that I was nothing more than living, breathing property. And there wasn't a doubt in my mind that Ino knew exactly what she was doing.

She knew the control she had over me and wasted no time in exploiting it.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who has to wear this," I groaned, already planning on ditching the stupid thing the first chance I got.

"Lucky enough for you, you're not. All protectors must wear them," Kakashi informed me, providing me with a small bit of relief. At least I wouldn't look ridiculous alone it would seem. Ridiculous none the less but not alone at least.

Feeling a little less defeated than before, I begrudgingly accepted my newest piece of apparel.

"Where is the little brat anyway?" I asked, knowing fully well that Kakashi wouldn't rat me out for saying anything like that.

Clearing his throat, he corrected, "The Young  _Lady_ , has been escorted to a dinner for the evening. All of the heirs have arrived and are meeting for the first time. The protectors will have a similar, though not nearly as extravagant meeting as well on Saturday. You might see a few of them around campus before then however. Should you have the time, you could always try making a friend early."

"I'll pass," I quickly tossed the idea, "I'm not here to make friends."

"You'll need them Haruno. You can't be a loner all your life," he joked with a playful ruffle of my hair.

Brushing away his hand, I shook my head. "Why bother?" I mean honestly. What was the point in making friends? It wasn't like we'd be friends forever. The man had said so himself. We'd either die or get whisked away back with our respectful heirs only to never see each other again.

I'd stick to riding it solo.

Life was a lot simpler that way.

"Well then, if I might make a suggestion?"

Already regretting it, I nodded for him to offer his suggestion. "I assure you, this job gets very stressful kid. You might be made of stone now but even you have urges I'm sure. If you're not going to make any friends, you better enjoy yourself as much as you can. If you catch my drift. You seem like a charmer so I doubt you'll have much trouble. Girls like the dark and broody type for whatever reason. Plus, one night stands seem right up your alley."

Arching my brow, I brushed past him, refusing to respond to his comment.

The last thing I was focused on right now was getting any.

When would I have time for that shit? I sure as hell couldn't bring a girl back here. Not unless I wanted to have her killed for indulging in a little carnal pleasure because I couldn't control myself. Honestly, I'd be better off just sticking to my work. And one night stands? Those things never ended well.

And on top of that? How was I supposed to pick up a girl if I was literally supposed to be at Ino's side every waking moment.

She wouldn't let that shit fly, not while she was around.

After all, I was her property. And whether I wore the collar or not, I was entirely too sure that she'd be keeping me on a  _very_  short leash. Little did I know, it was only going to get that much shorter.

* * *

 


	3. Chapter Three

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Three** _

"Nervous?"

Dropping the last of my items into my bag, I cast my eyes over my shoulder to see Kakashi leaning in the doorway. Rolling my eyes and with a slight scoff, I rose to my feet. "Should I be?" I asked casually, exhaustion evident in my voice.

I slept like shit last night.

Well, if you even count three and a half hours as sleep in the first place.

Kakashi had stopped by last night to apparently go over things he'd  _forgotten_ the day before. Apparently, in addition to protecting Ino at all times, I'd also be responsible for driving her around. He mentioned that taking the limo would arouse too much suspicion and while I agreed, I wasn't exactly thrilled about having to do so.

On a lighter note, I'd also received a phone and computer as gifts from the Head Iota. Though they would both be predominantly used for work, it was still nice to have. I'd spent most of the night getting them set up and familiarizing myself with how they worked. Nothing too complex and it would seem that Lord Inoichi had spared no expense in the models either.

After a bit of research last night, turns out both items together broke about five grand. Chump change for them no doubt.

I didn't even want to think about how much the car was.

Needless to say, all that fooling around made me a little low on energy. However, I was disciplined enough to know how to fight it. The only thing I was concerned about? The attitude I was sure to catch from Ino for holding her up this long.

With a light chuckle, Kakashi followed me outside, locking the door up behind us, "No I suppose not. After all, you're the best there is, here in Iota."

I rolled my eyes at his casual attempt at trying to stroke my ego.

"Make sure to tell Jonas to keep an eye on Aris. He seems to be teething and I'd rather not have to explain to Head Iota that I can't keep my  _gift_  under control," I mumbled when I locked eyes with Ino who didn't look the least bit happy.

I was smart enough to know not to open my mouth to Ino once I got in the car. Equally, she didn't bother with speaking to me anyway. Not directly at least. She mumbled something quietly under her breath but didn't say anything directly.

I didn't bother acknowledging that I had heard her, instead tossing Kakashi a nod as he claimed the car parked in front of mine.

Of course I hadn't the slightest idea where anything was, he figured it was a good idea to drive ahead of me so I could get a feel for where places were along with the campus. So after driving around for like a solid fifteen minutes, we were here.

The campus was stunning, as I had expected.

Unfortunately for me, Ino had no intentions of taking in the sights.

I turned to Kakashi, an annoyed look twisting onto my face. He only shook his head and gave me a curt wave before shoving me off after her. Catching up to her was easy but matching the quickness of her strides was another matter entirely. It was almost as if she wanted me to slip up and lose her only for something to terribly go wrong and I wind up dead.

This early in the game, I wouldn't put it past her either.

Pulling the phone from my pocket, I swiped through the notes I had made regarding our schedule. Our first class was an introductory biology course in a building named Stuber Hall.

Also in my research involving the phone last night, I learned about the different applications you could download. Thankfully, the university had an app of its own with a built in map. I very respectfully encouraged Ino to follow me in the direction of the building and thankfully she did so without too much attitude.

It took little effort to find our classroom and there were already students strolling into the room one by one and claiming seats.

Ino of course told me where she planned on sitting and I followed suit with no argument on my end.

She quickly occupied herself with her phone and I took the chance, finally having a moment to rest, to observe my surroundings. It was a large room, with rows and columns of seats splitting it into about three sections. In the front, a long blackboard with seemingly movable panels and a podium with a small desk attached to the side.

Attached to the ceiling, a long white screen with the display of a desktop flashing.

After a few more minutes of waiting, a man, average in height and build strode proudly to the front. Placing his things down and getting settled, he smiled and introduced himself, welcoming us all to campus as well as his class.

As he continued to speak, the sound of a door slamming shut caught my attention.

I turned slightly, eyes locked on the girl who had not so silently slipped in.

Almost immediately, the rest of the class followed suit. She looked nervous at all the attention, brushing the curls from her face as she looked around for a seat. The professor quickly urged her to find a place to sit and with a careful wave, I motioned for the seat beside me.

Ino wasn't too thrilled but allowed the girl to pass nonetheless. She got settled quickly and everyone's attention averted back to the professor, the whole little ordeal becoming a thing of the past. I too decided to refocus my gaze back on what he was saying until a voice in my ear forced away my attention for the second time.

"Thank you. For letting me sit here," she whispered softly.

I nodded, mumbling softly that it was no big deal.

The soft tug of her lip with her teeth held me for a moment. Slowly my eyes traveled from her lips to her face which I hadn't paid too much attention to before. But now…

Her eyes were green but not nearly as intense as mine. Softer and more muted, like that of an olive. Her skin was browned only slightly, being more on the lighter side and her hair fell in curls, shaping the frame of her face perfectly. And if one looked close enough, they could make out the light brown freckles accenting her cheekbones and nose.

She was downright beautiful in my eyes.

Extending her hand to me, she smiled, flashing her perfect teeth, "Paige."

"Sakura," I managed in spite of my awe.

She pulled away slowly, leaving the warmth of her hand lingering on my skin. But with a clearing of her throat and an impatient huff, Ino managed to kill the moment in all of two seconds. I swiftly tore my eyes from captivating olives to icy blues for Ino to glare me down and hiss, "Pay attention, my father isn't paying you to flirt with girls, he's paying you to protect me. You can't do that if you're not focused. Understood?"

Biting my tongue, I settled for a nod and leaned back in my seat.

I could feel eyes on me from both sides and I knew better than to look at either of them.

* * *

Ino didn't bother taking the time to explain to me why we were simply standing around outside.

We were all done with the scheduled classes for the day and while not totally unbearable, I was strongly favoring being in my bed right after. However, Ino had other plans and unfortunately for me, they didn't include my bed.

So we sat on a bench, her fingers skillfully typing away at her phone and me, arms folded and eyes closed.

I had half a mind to just demand why the hell she was keeping me here waiting but I knew better. Thankfully, my patience hadn't gone unrewarded.

Ino swiftly rose from the bench and I could make out the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. Scowling, I directed my gaze in the path of her own, spotting a group of girls making their way towards us. My eyes immediately narrowed in on two of the girls in particular. To my immediate fascination, I noticed that they too donned the thin leather straps around their neck like the one I was wearing.

They were like me.

All the waiting had finally paid off. Proof that Ino wasn't the only one out here making people's lives a living hell.

A girl, features similar to Ino's approached first, pulling Ino into a gentle embrace. Another girl, golden brown hair and eyes to match quickly pulled Ino into a hug which was slightly more on the aggressive side. Ino seemed to enjoy it all the same.

"Temari...Ayame, forever keeping me waiting," Ino sighed, lips pulling into a small smile.

"I was ready. Ayame on the other hand, not so much," the girl who I presumed to be Temari spoke first. Ayame grinned, giving Temari a playful little shove before her eyes landed on my own. I quickly ripped my eyes away, feigning interest at a boy passing by on his skateboard.

Perhaps, she hadn't caught me staring.

I was definitely smoother than that.

"Ino, who's your friend?" I tightened my jaw, allowing my eyes to travel up to Ino. The frown she gave me wasn't a surprise and knowing better than to open my mouth, I looked away again. "She's nobody important. Just my bodyguard."

Her words hurt but I wasn't sure why.

It wasn't like I hadn't heard it before. That I was nothing. And coming from Ino it should have hurt even less but it didn't.

To my shock and Ino's as well perhaps, Temari scoffed and nodded for me to stand up. I did so hastily, already preparing myself to kneel as I knew was customary when meeting other royalty until she ordered me to stop. "Come on kid, I don't have time for all that shit. Get up, carry yourself with a little more pride."

Confused, I parted my lips to argue but Ino beat me to it.

"Don't get her thinking that she can do as she pleases Temari. They're not our friends, they work for us," Ino snapped but to my amusement, Temari didn't seem the least bit bothered.

With a groan, she gave me a tired look, "What's your name kid?"

"Sakura. Sakura Haruno," I answered.

Nodding, she reached out to squeeze my shoulder and in the most relaxed voice she could muster, told me, "I'm really sorry you got Ino as your heir. She's got the worst attitude. I assure you, we're all not like that, most of us are pretty chill. She's just a bit more on the hostile side for whatever reason. She and I are pretty close but trust me when I say this, she's a bitch plain and simple."

I bit the inside of my cheek, finding Temari's comment pretty funny. However, I hadn't known her long enough to fear her but Ino was another matter entirely and I was in no mood to provoke the beast.

Not wanting to overstep my boundaries, I bowed slightly, "Lady Temari and Lady Ayame, it was a pleasure to make y-"

"First things first, don't ever call me that shit again. It's just Temari, got it?" She mumbled, slipping her hands in her pockets. I nodded, turning to Ayame who gave me a sheepish smile. Biting her lip she extended her hand my way and agreed, "Same for me. Just Ayame." Unable to pull my gaze from her, I nodded softly again, taking her hand shaking it softly.

Ino was fuming at this point, I could tell.

A girl like her, of course she didn't like having her authority challenged.

Fortunately for her, I had no intentions of challenging her in the first place. Ayame and Temari might have seen things a little differently and were clearly more lenient with their power but Ino was a whole other battle. At least on the plus side, she was well prepared for the role of her becoming the ruler of Sector Iota. She'd fit right in with the rest of the elitist with that attitude.

"Since you three will surely become well acquainted soon, Sakura, these are our protectors. Tenten is with me and Rin is with Ayame," Temari explained, finally introducing me to the girls behind them.

They both gave me casual waves and I returned the gesture as well.

Though on the outside I seemed rather unimpressed, they both were points of interest for me. We were the same and I'm sure I'd get a better chance to mingle with them on Saturday, so for the meantime, I'd maintain my nonchalant facade.

"Are we going to spend all day doing introductions or can we go eat already?" Ino mumbled, not even bothering to wait for any answer. I'm sure it had a lot to do with me and to be honest, I didn't feel the least bit guilty. Temari gave me a reassuring look, assuring me that I was fine and Ino would eventually move on once she got some food in her system.

Typical girl. Pissy mood until some unfortunate soul remembered to feed her.

Everyone followed suit, Ayame skipping up to Ino's side as the two of them exchanged words like long lost friends. Perhaps they were and I'd never know. After all, it wasn't my job nor my intention to get to know Ino or who she really was.

Her friend on the other hand? She definitely had my full attention.

* * *

"Wake up."

The command was swift and the tone left no room for arguing.

I winced at the light that stung my eyes when I pulled them open. Fingers reaching, I fumbled around for my phone. When my vision finally focused enough for the numbers to actually be readable, I swear I had never wanted to knock someone's lights out so badly.

Groaning at my her godawful timing, I sat up slowly to see Ino glaring me down so hard I could practically feel it in my soul.

"What the f-"

"I suggest you think  _very_  carefully about the next word that comes out of your mouth," she said, abruptly ending my sentence.

Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I settled on fixing her with a tired look. " _Lady Ino_ ," I mumbled, "What's wrong?"

"You. You're what's wrong, Haruno." Oh how badly I wanted to roll my eyes but even at the ungodly hour of three in the morning, I still had enough sense to keep my mouth shut until she finished her rant.

"How so?" I dryly asked, having no real desire for an answer.

"That damn dog of yours, that's how," she bit.

Abruptly, I had completely woken up. Eyes flashing from my bed to the small dog bed in the corner of my room, panic set it almost instantly. "Where is he?" When she didn't answer right away, a nervous pang built in my chest and I threw back the sheets.

I called for him, growing more and more frantic when the sound of jingling tags never came. I whistled and everything, practically on the verge of losing my cool when all seemed hopeless. Then finally, soft whines and scratches led me to the patio door.

Outside was none other than Aris, shaking violently and soaking wet.

You've gotta be fucking kidding me. No way she was that cruel.

I swung the door open, picking him up and ignoring how his dampened fur soaked clean through my shirt. I brushed past Ino, taking him straight to my bathroom. Grabbing a towel, I dried him off the best I could before wrapping him in the towel completely. He was still shaking, though not as violently as before. Whether it was from the cold rain or Ino, I wasn't sure.

What I was sure of? Was that Ino was two seconds away from feeling all my wrath.

I mumbled soft words of encouragement for him, pulling away to meet Ino in the hallway. The second I shut my door behind me, I could already hear her nagging in my ear. This was only my second night in the house with her and I was already at my limit.

Unable to deal with it, I lashed out right back.

"You must be out of your  _goddamn_  mind Yamanaka."

"Excuse me, wh-"

"I don't give two fucks who you're going to tell," I hissed, closing the distance between us until I had her backed against the wall. "You can talk shit about me to my face or behind my back all day long and I'll be just fine. What you're not going to fucking do, is sit here and punish him because he doesn't know any better!"

"He chewed on my shit!"

"So fucking go out and buy more! For christ's sake Ino! Stop pretending you aren't loaded and that Daddy can't have it replaced it a heartbeat. Step off your high horse for two point five seconds and think about someone other than yourself. I did some thinking and you know what, there's going to be ground rules. For now, we'll start with just one. Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you. Now carry your prissy ass to sleep, we have class in five hours."

She was at a loss for words.

And I felt amazing for having managed to make it all happen.

A second later, she spun on her heel and left, slamming her door shut in the process. Content for now, I retreated to my room, collapsing onto my bed with a tired sigh. Right before I could close my eyes, a text message came through.

It was from Kakashi.

I read over it, frown sliding onto my lips as it taunted me.

' _You fucked up kid. Big time.'_

But at three in the fucking morning, I couldn't find it in me to even pretend that I cared. Effortlessly tapping on the screen, I replied with a simple answer, knowing already the amount of trouble I'd just gotten myself in.

' _Yeah, I know.'_

Day Three. Off to a great start.

* * *

 


	4. Chapter Four

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Four** _

"Haruno. He wants to see you."

I nodded, following Kakashi out the door. Stopping me just short of the kitchen, he gripped my shoulders and looked me dead in my eye. His voice heavy with concern, he whispered, "Stay calm, be honest and you'll be fine. It's your first offense and I doubt he'll be too drastic but I'd advise you not to make a habit out of this. Understood?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "I understand."

Patting my shoulder, he ushered me forward.

Hands behind his back, the Head Iota took slow strides around the dining room table. I noticed the various rings adorning his fingers as they glided over each piece of furniture. Then finally, his eyes met with my own.

Extending a hand in my direction, he motioned for me to take a seat.

I looked to my left and right where I saw men watching me intently. No doubt they were guards of some sort. I carefully took my seat at one end of the table while he did the same at the other end. He clapped his large hands summoning one of the men to step forward. In his hands a medium sized rectangular box with an intricate black and gold design.

"Do you smoke, Sakura?"

Brow furrowing, I ignorantly asked, "Sir?"

His eyes hardened, giving me an impatient look before pulling a small cylindrical substance from the box. He rotated it in his fingers, twirling it about as I watched. I recognized it immediately. It was the same sort of cigar he had perched from his lips the first day we'd met.

Understanding his question, I shook my head, "No Sir."

Leaning back in his seat, he allowed the man to clip one end before offering it to him. A lighter made its way to the other end, a flame flickering to life and fading in a matter of seconds. He took a few drags, pulling it from his lips as smoke hazed out into a thick cloud before dissipating around us. With a sigh, he asked, "You know why I'm here?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good, for a moment I was worried. You see," he began, taking another few puffs of his cigar, "I don't like to have my time wasted. Let me stress that to you, very  _very_  clearly. I do  _not_  like to have my time wasted. Do you know, what this is Sakura? What this is we're doing right now?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, knowing the answer to his question yet not wanting to openly say it. Drawing in a steady breath, I nodded, "Wasting time?"

It was his turn to nod as he tapped the cigar, loosening the ashes as they fell to the floor.

"It would seem, Sakura, that you have forgotten just what it is I'm paying you to do. So I'll remind you. You are here, to protect my daughter, not to discipline her. That is my job, along with a million other things. More importantly, your job is to make my life easier," he continued, rising from his chair as he slowly strolled towards the large window.

He snapped his fingers and I turned slightly in my chair to see Kakashi escorting Ino from her room.

She claimed the middle seat at the table, eyes not once making contact with my own.

"Right now, you aren't making my job any easier. We need to fix that, any suggestions?" He asked, turning to face me once more. I shook my head, lowering my eyes to my lap, wishing for nothing more than for this to all be over. His footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor, creaking at the slightest pressure.

Before I knew it, he was right behind me.

A large hand squeezed my shoulder as a deep voice invaded my ear.

"No worries then. Lucky for you, I've already got one figured out," he said with an exhale, releasing a stream of smoke by my cheek. It slipped up my nostrils and I resisted the urge not to cough. The scent was disgusting but inhaling it and feeling it penetrate my lungs simply made matters worse.

But I'd mind my tongue, for now.

"Kakashi, bring it in," he commanded, patting the top of the table in front of me. My eyes followed Kakashi as he picked up a laptop, bringing it over and sitting it in front of me. Once everything was set up, he stepped aside and stood silently against the wall.

I scowled, trying to pick up the emotion in his face but it was a waste of time. Instead, he kept his eyes focused straight ahead, avoiding my gaze effortlessly.

Ino, on the other hand, found her eyes wandering. Ever so often, I could feel her gaze burning against my skin but when I would look, her eyes would be elsewhere.

Before my thoughts could run any further, the screen flashed as a small video opening up. I scowled deeply, trying to make heads of what it was I was seeing. A woman, sitting in a chair surrounded by men in masks appeared. I squinted my eyes, leaning in a bit before a sickening realization dawned upon me.

The woman, she was no stranger.

It was Lina.

Pressing a button on the keyboard, another screen popped up with a reflection of myself. Every movement and shift of my body, it captured. Chest tightening, I mumbled coldly, "What is this?" A soft chuckle was his initial response. Slapping his hands down on my shoulders forced me to jump slightly. "This," he began, "This is nothing, if not a lesson."

My heart began to race.

My palms were sweating profusely and no amount of drying them against my jeans could stop it.

"Sir…"

"Now, how about some introductions. Boys, remove the tape."

One of the men ripped the tape from her lips and I could just faintly make out a gasp for air. That alone was enough to force my jaw to tighten. Her hazel eyes flickered back and forth frantically before landing on the screen. Eyes wide with panic, she screamed my name, "Sakura! Sakura is that you?"

Before I could purse my lips to form words, Lord Inoichi spoke first. "That's right Lina, was it? We've got Sakura here. Reunited once again, how touching."

Pulling up a seat beside me, he spoke again. "You see, Lina. Sakura here, has made a  _terrible_ mistake. And while I am a  _very_  generous man, I can't in all good consciousness allow her to get away with it without any repercussions. So that, is why you are here."

My eyes fell back to my lap. I tried to make sense of what was happening but it wasn't coming as easy as I'd hope.

"I'll admit," he paused, eyes challenging me to look at him, "Pulling this off was harder than I expected. After all, typically we'd go straight for the loved ones. A brother or sister. Lover. Father or... _mother_." The way the word rolled off his tongue had me biting my own, knowing fully well that he was trying to coax a reaction out of me.

He licked his lips before pulling them into a crooked smile.

He took several quick puffs of his cigar and exhaled right in front of my face.

"But we can't exactly do that when that person has no one left, can we? No family, no friends. No one that cares. A tragic story really. But you see Sakura, my men are professionals. Once they got a little whiff about Lina, they jumped right at the opportunity. Doesn't get more loyal than that," he finished, coming to an abrupt halt.

In the short time, I found my eyes traveling to Ino's and for once, she didn't look away. Her brows were furrowed and jaw tight. This time, it was I who pulled away first. Unable to take her staring anymore, I forced my attention back on the screen.

"Now, we're going to make this really quick. I have a meeting to get to and I'd rather not be late. Since this is your first strike, we won't kill her. But they will, beat the living hell out of her, and you have yourself to thank for that."

He rose from the chair, sliding it back into it's place.

Suddenly a hand latched onto my head, gripping my hair tightly.

His voice was at my ear once more. The scent of his cigar emanating from his clothes and hair. "I want you to look, very carefully Sakura. Understand that in order for things to run smoothly, you need to learn your place." He stepped away, strolling over to Ino to press a gentle kiss upon her temple.

"If you cry…"

The beating of my heart picked up slowly.

"...if you scream…"

My teeth grinded together, almost ready to crack at any extra pressure.

"...if you close your eyes for one second other than to blink…"

I could feel my entire body trembling, almost as if I was freezing. As if I'd been cast out into the Arctic, no clothes on my back to protect me, almost as if time was ticking down until the last moment I drew breath. Time slowed down and the only indication I had to keep track of it was the rapid thumps reverberating in my chest.

"I'll have her killed," he finished and with his words, everything came back at once.

A shattering scream fill the silence around us as knife found its way into her thigh.

I wanted to look away. The sound of bones snapping one by one and blood pooling in her mouth was easily the worst thing I'd ever heard. The force of a punch sent her tumbling to the floor and I wanted nothing more than to rush back home and kill them myself.

I could feel the stinging in my eyes, tears devilishly creeping their way to the surface.

Lord Inoichi was in front of me in an instant. Patting my cheek with a sadistic grin and eyes wide with a sickeningly sweet pleasure, he uttered, "Ah ah ah. No tears, remember?"

I swallowed the bile building in my throat as I watched. Each strike seemed louder than the last, echoing off the walls surrounding us.

What made it worse?

How my name sounded falling from her lips.

Every punch, every kick, every crack. She whispered my name. Pleading with me to make them stop. But how could I? After all, this was my fault. As far as this man was concerned, my side of the story held no value here. He was teaching my place and I was learning it. Every trickle of blood down her pale skin, every purplish bruise tainting her body would forever be embedded in my mind.

"You're a tough one...I like that," he remarked cooly.

Next I know, there's a gun at my head.

I bit the inside of my cheek, watching with rage boiling beneath the surface of my skin as they all but threw Lina back into the chair she'd been sitting in. One of the men gripped her frosty colored locks in his hand, forcing her to hold her head up. She continued to mumble my name but the words that fell from her lips next struck me hard.

"Please...please…" she managed through the blood pooling in her mouth, "Don't kill her. Just kill me...I beg of you."

"How touching...even like this, she would rather plead for your life than her own," Inoichi chuckled.

He kept the gun aimed at one side of my head as he dipped to my other ear. In a chilling voice, he whispered, "Are you afraid yet? Have I made my point clear?" I decided against answering his question. Feeling the bile rise higher and higher in my throat burned and I knew it was a matter of minutes before my attempts to keep it down failed me.

"No?" He asked.

Trying desperately to stop my body from shaking, I bit my bottom lip, reveling in the taste of my own blood as it calmed me.

Piece by piece, I rebuilt myself until my body was once again still.

He scoffed and I shut my eyes.

He pulled the trigger but instead of my body growing limp, all I felt was the mimic of a gunshot sound in my ear as he pulled away slowly. "Like I said, I'm a man of my word. I'm glad we could have this little talk. Surely we won't have anymore of these  _problems_?"

"No Sir." I blankly replied.

Patting my cheek, he grinned, "Thatta girl. Thanks for being a good sport too Lina, you did great. Fellas get her cleaned up and treated. Sweetheart, come here." Ino rose from her seat moving to stand beside her father. Gripping her chin lightly, he sternly voiced, "I love you sweetheart but don't call be down here again for anymore foolishness. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir…" she whispered softly, eyes avoiding his.

"Good," he mumbled, kissing her cheek and ruffling her hair, "Kakashi, I trust you to keep them both in line. I'll be off now and I'd like to leave a large gap between now and my next visit, hmm?" He patted Kakashi's shoulder and turned swiftly on his heel. I waited for the door to lock shut before I bothered to move.

Jaw tensing, I managed to croak out, "Lady Ino...might I be excused?"

I rose from my seat, turning to face her. She didn't so much as look my way. In the softest voice I'd ever heard from her, she whispered, "Yes...you may." I bowed, giving her my thanks, brushing off Kakashi's hand from my shoulder as I retreated to my room. It wasn't until I had heard everyone else retire to their own rooms that I dragged myself to the bathroom and heaved up the contents of my stomach.

And with my nails digging into my palms, I allowed my body to shake and shiver because that was the only method of coping I had left. Tears weren't allowed back in the Academy and I sure as hell wasn't about to start them now.

* * *

"Who's watching Ino if you're with me?"

Kakashi shrugged as he drove us to some unknown location. "I'm honestly not sure but it's definitely someone whom Lord Inoichi trusts completely for him to leave the young lady in their care." I nodded, returning to staring out the window with my chin resting in my hand.

As we approached a stoplight, Kakashi dimmed the music a bit.

I flickered my eyes over to him briefly before pulling them away, already knowing where this was headed.

"I don't want to talk about it," I responded tiredly. The images from a few nights ago was still fresh in my mind and I wanted nothing more to forget them. Drawing in a slow breath, I exhaled just as slowly, trying my best to pretend like the wound wasn't still fresh.

Thankfully, he let it go.

Switching the subject entirely, he asked, "Ready to make some friends?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be," I commented dryly. He chuckled, turning into a large parking lot. My eyes trailed off to the large tower in front of us. Was this where we'd be meeting everyone? It was definitely larger than I expected and if the outside looked this nice, I could only imagine the inside.

We walked up the steps, pushing through the revolving door. I followed Kakashi's quick strides as he made his way to the front desk. Scanning his badge at the front desk, he motioned for me to follow him behind a small door.

"Listen, I won't always be accompanying you hear so you'll need to remember this. You'll get your badge today after introductions and such. You will scan at the front desk twice, once the light flashes blue, you'll get clearance through this door. It will remain unlocked for fifteen seconds before relocking. When it does, scan here," he gestured to another car reader attached to the wall. "Then, scan three times until the light flashes green. It'll open up the secret elevator to your floor."

Sure enough, a bookcase shifted slightly to the left revealing an elevator.

Hopefully I'd be able to remember all this when I had to come here on my own.

"Scan once more and it'll bring up the scanner for your floor," he told me. Removing his glove, he placed his hand on the scanner and next I know we're moving. After a minute or so, we grew still. The doors slid open and I had to resist the urge to drop my jaw.

There were kids everywhere, lounging around and joking.

However, my attention was far more focused on the decor.

It was like some sort of luxury penthouse. No, scratch that, this was a pent house.

To the left was a large sitting area with a large screen projector hanging from the ceiling. Behind it, large open windows leading to a patio with an insane view of the city. Sofas, black and white lined the room with a large coffee table in the middle with magazines strewn about. I turned, spotting on my right perhaps the largest kitchen I'd ever seen.

Marble countertops accented with black appliances tied it all together. The kitchen curved, turning into a bar area with a shelf of all kinds of liquor.  
That wasn't even all of it. I could tell from here that there was so much more but Kakashi's hand squeezing my shoulder brought me back to focus. Aware of my fascination, he chuckled, "No worries, you'll get to explore soon enough. For now, a quick meet and greet and some housekeeping rules."

I nodded, following him to the center of the room.

Bringing his finger to his lips, he effectively caught the attention of the others, motioning them to come and sit. I plopped down at the end of one of the sofas , slipping my hands in my pockets. A boy plopped down beside me, the first thing that caught my attention was his intense blond hair and sparkling blue eyes.

Just like Ino's.

Shaking her from my mind, I tore my eyes away back to Kakashi.

Once everyone was settled, he began with a clear of his throat. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I'll be in charge of you all during the next few years. We're going to go over some basics and then I'll allow you all to go around the room for introductions. Understood?"

Silent nods circled the room giving him the okay to continue.

"Alright. So this place is called, The Tower. Nothing fancy because after all, it's just a tower. You all will report here every Saturday for work purposes such a briefing, training and things of the like. After that has been completed, you all will have the rest of the day to do as you please here. In the event that your heirs have other priorities, you all will be staying here until they return. There's plenty of rooms and amenities for you all so no one will have to share, unless you decide to. You all have full access to every room here minus each other's rooms which you will need permission for. Questions so far?"

Again, more silence.

He nodded, continuing on.

"Good. There's a map that lets you know what levels contain what against the wall there. This place is a lot bigger than it looks and we'll go on a more formal tour later but in case you forget, that's where it is. Let me stress this next part  _very very_  carefully. You are not, under any circumstances, to bring anyone unaffiliated with our cause to this area. Should you do so, both you and whomever you bring will be executed on site, no questions asked. The heirs also have access to the other half which is exactly the same as your side, minus a few design alterations. The two sides may venture over but let me remind you that no romantic involvement between you and them is allowed to take place. Other than that, anything goes. Thrown your own parties, help yourself to drinks and whatever else. Just...try not to trash the place too much. If there are no further questions, we'll go ahead and introduce ourselves."

He looked around the room, though he didn't fool me.

I already knew that he'd pick me first.

With a toss of my hand and nod of my head, I spoke, "The name is Sakura. Sakura Haruno of Sector Iota."

The blonde kid next to me spoke next, "Sup guys! Naruto Uzumaki is the name!" I scowled at his peppered enthusiasm, rolling my eyes gently. What the hell was he so excited about? I suppose it wasn't his fault. Maybe that's just the kind of person he was, overflowing with excitement at all times.

More names followed, none of which captured my attention.

Though two names in particular did come up that I recognized.

Rin and Tenten. Those two I had met the other day. At the most, I'd probably come to get along with them. I couldn't say the same for the others but I was open to giving them a chance I supposed. After all, that stunt Ino pulled the other day sure as hell didn't put her at the top of my friend list. Not that she was interested in being friends anyway.

It didn't matter, after all, there's no way she'd be able to make it up to me anyway.

I didn't think she was that cold but I guess I was wrong, she had a whole other side that I never wanted to see again.

* * *

 

* * *


	5. Chapter Five

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Five** _

"Well...that was some first impression."

I cast a look over my shoulder, bringing into view the person who had disturbed my peace. Hands shoved in the pockets of her olive green jacket was Rin. Her chocolate colored hair cascaded down her right shoulder, framing her face perfectly.

I watched her as she approached slowly before shifting my gaze back at the view of the city. I didn't respond to her comment but she didn't seem to mind any.

We stood there, enjoying the silence for a bit until she decided to disrupt it once more. "What's eating you kid?" She asked me.

Scowl creeping onto my lips, I observed her from the corner of my eye. Shaking my head, I brushed it off, "I don't know what you're talking about." She didn't buy it. A soft snort fell from her lips as she leaned against the rail alongside me. Snidely, she tossed, "You're a bad liar."

"And you're annoying," I replied with a tired sigh, "What do you want?"

"Just...trying to figure you out," she replied with a genuine sense of curiosity.

Finding her comment slightly amusing, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Don't bother, I'm not very interesting," I half joked, finally facing her completely as she did the same. With a small smirk pulling at the corners of her lips, she teased, "Well with a comment like that, I can't help but think otherwise." I shrugged, mumbling simply, "Believe what you want, I don't care."

Pivoting on my heel, I turned to leave but her hand quickly caught my shoulder.

Unfazed, I allowed my eyes to travel where our bodies connected, eventually locking my eyes with hers.

"What?"

Extending her hand out to me, she said, "Rin. Rin Nohara of Sector Alpha." I stared at her hand with a frown. She continued to wait expectantly until I finally obliged and reached for her hand in return. "Sakura Haruno. Sector Iota." She nodded, her fingers lingering in my palm before she carefully pulled them away.

Nudging me gently, she began a soft pace and encouraged me to follow.

With nothing else to lose, I did.

I chased her steps, weaving in and out of the masses of the others. It would seem that they had all found ways to keep themselves occupied. Immediately taking advantage of the various gadgets and treasures our place had to offer. I followed Rin down the hall, being sure to keep close considering I hadn't the slightest idea as to where I was going. I think she caught onto my suspicions, throwing me a small smile over her shoulder as she informed me that we were going to explore.

I nodded, eyes taking note of every turn we made. Soon enough, as turns began to rack up, I lost the enthusiasm to continue counting. Surely getting back wouldn't be that hard. Soon, we stumbled upon a large pool. It seemed to go on forever but perhaps only extending a few yards in each direction. The water was clear enough to see the intricate designs running its length beneath the surface.

I stood in the doorway as Rin approached it slowly.

She crouched down, allowing her fingertips to skim the surface, causing it to ripple before becoming stagnant once more.

For some reason, my gaze shifted from the water back to her face. Watching her brown eyes soften and lips curve slightly. She turned to me suddenly, motioning me over. I took carefully slow steps towards her, standing slightly off to her left. "Have you ever seen a pool before?" She asked, voice soft as if she was deep in thought.

"No," I shook my head, "Just in pictures."

"Where did you practice your swimming?" She asked next, sitting cross legged upon the floor.

I continued to stand, not wanting to sit lest she decide to move soon. "We had a lake near our Academy," I told her, reflecting on the time I first learned how to swim. She nodded, pushing herself onto her feet. "Come on," she instructed and yet again I continued to follow without voicing a complaint.

This place was definitely bigger than I imagined.

There were all sorts of rooms and things of the like here.

However, right about this time I was more interested in eating than exploring. Much to my immediate embarrassment, my stomach growled right as we turned another corner. Tossing me a knowing smirk, she smartly commented, "If you were hungry Haruno, all you had to do was say so. I wouldn't have minded making the trip myself."

"Whatever. I didn't mind," I rushed out, feigning a sudden interest in the portraits hanging upon the walls.

Rolling her eyes, she leaned against the wall across from me, folding her arms over her chest. "I doubt there's anything in that extravagant kitchen upstairs. If you're down, we could ride out and grab a bite?" I pondered over my options, knowing that she was probably right. We had a kitchen, though it was empty which wasn't much help. I wasn't exactly going to cook with an audience either. Finally, I agreed.

"Fine," I huffed quietly.

She laughed, already moving past me in the direction we came, "Don't sound so miffed about it. I promise I'm not that bad of company."

I was silent, my only response being a simple roll of my eyes. For a second , I began to doubt that she knew where she was going until I heard the sounds of conversation and laughter fill my ears. Sure enough, she'd gotten us back.

She stopped at the kitchen, waving over the other girl whose name I recalled to be Tenten. She was amongst a small group gathering in the kitchen.

She forced her way through, looking slightly relieved to be free from the crowd. "What's up?" She asked Rin, yet throwing a nod my way in a casual greeting which I returned. "Sakura and I are going out. Gonna check out some food spots, wanna go?" She seemed to think over the offer before agreeing with a nod. She then motioned over two others, the blonde boy from before along with another boy. He had black hair pulled into ponytail along with soft brown eyes.

"This is Naruto and Shikamaru," Tenten introduced the two of them respectively, "Just met 'em but if it's cool with you guys, I figured they can tag along too."

I tossed my head as a greeting, to which they both returned.

I personally didn't care about making a bunch of friends but at the same time, I guess it couldn't hurt.

"Fine by me," I shrugged, already making my way towards the elevator. I felt a slight nudge at my waist, turning to see Rin fixing me with a stern look. "Quit with the broody shit. It's so cliche," she muttered silently so that only the two of us could hear. I scoffed, slipping my hand into my pockets, scowl deepening at the light laugh she gave me.

I could see now that she was going to be trying my patience a lot over the next few years. As if Ino wasn't enough already.

* * *

As we all sat around some table, laughs circulating between the others, I couldn't help but feel incredibly out of place.

What was I doing here?

Pretending to be interested in their conversations when I all I wanted was to drag myself into a bed and relax.

A quick glance at my phone confirmed it was still rather early so perhaps calling it a day now would be a bit much. Still, I didn't exactly feel like hanging out with strangers and pretending to have a good time. In reality, I wasn't the least bit happy.

I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened to Lena. All of it was suddenly weighing heavily on my mind and before I could realize what had happened, the abrupt stinging of my hand had me hissing in pain.

Glancing down, I saw that I had crushed my glass. Small shard dug into my palm as blood began trickling through my fingers.

I didn't bother making eye contact with the others. I only mumbled an apology and excused myself to the restroom. Rushing to the sink, I winced at the blood steadily pouring from my hand. I didn't even know I had been squeezing the thing so damn hard.

The door opened behind me but I knew who it was long before she spoke.

She approached me slowly, fingers skimming across my hand briefly before I snatched it away. "What do you want Rin?" I sighed, not wanting to deal with any unnecessary attention right now. She only rolled her eyes, snatching my hand and holding it one of her own. I watched as she pulled a small box from her jacket pocket, resting it on the sink.

Inside, several small tools that I recognized. Immediately, she pulled out a small pair of tweezers. Carefully, she pulled the small shards from my hand and flicked them into the trash.

Everytime I hissed or sucked in my breath, she'd pause, fix me with a look and then continue. Eventually, they were all out. She rinsed the blood from my hands, keeping pressure on it with a damp paper towel. I couldn't help but allow my eyes to linger on her face. Her eyes specifically, noticing how they grew hard as she focused on nurturing the wound.

Her lips twitched into a frown as she held onto my hand, until finally, she pulled them away.

"Listen kid," she began, annoying me slightly considering I'm sure we were about the same age. However, the softness in her voice resembled that of a small child, rather than that of someone claiming to be my senior. "Something is on your mind, I can tell. It's probably personal and we don't know each other very well but bottling it in doesn't do you any good. You're going to need someone to talk to," she finished, arms folded over her chest as she waited for my answer.

I mulled her words over in my mind, knowing that her words did hold some truth.

It was obvious that Ino saw me as nothing more than an expendable pawn.

I knew I had a limit and Ino was far closer to finding it than anyone else I'd ever encountered. I wasn't the sharing type and rather than bottling up emotions, I simply pretending like they didn't exist. That way I didn't have to worry about it all blowing up in my face later on down the line. That way, no one could have the upper hand over me.

Still, having at least one person to confide in our with whom to keep secrets could make this hell a little more bearable.

Perhaps taking her up on her offer could prove to be effective in the long run. After all, what else did I have to lose?

Running my non-injured hand through my hair, I nodded. "Alright," I mumbled. The slight twitch of her lips into a grin unsettled me. It was almost as if she had known I was going to give in long before she even asked me the question. Pushing the idea that she had planned all of this from the beginning to the back of my mind, I allowed her to lead me out the bathroom and back to the table to rejoin the others.

When prompted with questions as to what had happened, I simply brushed them off and poked at my food, meanwhile, trying to figure out why Rin and I couldn't stop locking eyes.

* * *

"Man, I'm beat," Naruto huffed, slouching back onto my bed looking way too comfortable.

"So go to your own room," I mumbled, walking around and inspecting every little detail.

It would seem that they spared no expense on anything surprisingly enough. It would seem like we'd be getting the short end of the stick but I guess when your job is literally to protect royalty with your life, there's gotta be some upside to the story.

It was fully furnished, queen sized beds, TV's mounted to the wall, walk in closets, the whole nine yards. They even had their own bathrooms.

It would seem like my room had become the sneak peek for everyone else. Rin and Tenten walked about freely, eyeing any and everything. Shikamaru claimed the small couch off to the side and Naruto casually stretched out across my bed. Figuring they'd all just up and leave eventually, I plopped onto the other half of the bed, stretching out with a relaxed sigh.

"Well, now what?" Shikamaru yawned out, flipping through channels as he settled into the couch.

"You all could leave," I half joked, secretly wanting them to actually leave so I could have a minute to think to myself.

Scoff tossing from her lips, Rin stretched out beside me, resting her feet on top of Naruto's back. Seriously. They were all getting a little too comfortable. And yet, I couldn't find it in me to actually tell them to flat out leave. Maybe I was just more exhausted than I realized. On the other hand, it could be something deeper. Perhaps deep down I was just lonely and craved the presence of others, though I wouldn't admit it to them.

"I know!" Naruto perked up immediately from the foot of the bed. "How do you guys feel about your heirs? Shikamaru, you first!"

Scowling at being put on the spot, he shrugged and answered briefly, "The kid's name is Choji from Sector Gamma. He eats way too much and he's messy as hell. Still, he's a good kid. Hard to believe he's the heir to anything though." I couldn't help but smirk while the others laughed openly. So far, I liked Shikamaru. He had a chill personality but it made me question how strong was he. He didn't exactly give off bodyguard vibes.

"Alright me next!" Naruto practically screeched though we were all in perfect hearing range. "I've got Sasuke Uchiha as my heir from Sector Sigma. He's such a pretty bow, know-it-all, asshole! He thinks he's perfect and talks down to everyone. I hear he's got an older brother in jail though, they've got a pretty dark history." I rolled my eyes, not very surprised. I had heard briefly about the Uchiha, knowing only from stories of the elite sector. They produced some of the strongest heirs ever in history. Hard to believe that they actually hired a bodyguard for a family full of warriors.

Tenten shrugged, claiming an empty spot next to Shikamaru. "I've got Temari from Sector Theta. She's pretty chill and doesn't give me a hard time so she's good in my book. I know she's got two brothers but she's the only one of them with enough business sense. Guess it makes sense for her to be heir."

"Honestly, sound a lot like Ayame," Rin began with a soft smile. "She's pretty laid back too. She might not give off the vibe but she's smart as hell. She's also a pretty amazing cook. She's let me try so much food in the past few days it's ridiculous."

Lastly, everyone's eyes focused on me.

I closed my eyes, completely aware of the tensing of my jaw.

Breathing out slowly, I mumbled, "Ino. Sector Iota. I've only been with her a few days but she's easily my least favorite person I've ever met. I have no doubt that Sasuke is probably a shitty person but Ino takes the fucking cake. She hits so low below the belt she might as well break your damn ankles while she's down there. I hate her, plain and simple."

The room was quiet.

Not that I was surprised. I mean. What was there to say after that?

Running his fingers through his messy blonde hair, Naruto openly joked, "Ya gotta admit though. She's pretty fucking hot." I scoffed, rolling my eyes as a sudden vibration in my pocket drew my attention elsewhere. I could care less if she was hot. If you're a shitty person then you're a shitty person. No amount of makeup could get rid of that. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I glanced at the screen to see who the text had come from.

Kakashi. Of course.

_'The young lady has complained about Aris. She demands that you come retrieve him during your stay for the weekend.'_

The sigh that followed was only a glimpse of my frustration. Of course she couldn't deal with anything slightly inconveniencing for more than a few minutes. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I rose from the bed and snatched my keys from the bedside table.

"Where ya going?" Naruto nosily asked as he continued to lie down, sprawled across my bed.

"To waste gas on something that could've waited till tomorrow night," I breathed in annoyance. He made no move to get up. Same for the others. Rin, however, rose to her feet and slipped past me out the door with nothing but an easy smile as she followed me to my car. I couldn't help but wonder why she seemed to follow me around or more importantly, why I hadn't bothered to stop her yet.

Nevertheless, I let her make the brief drive back with me to pick up Aris.

The conversation was brief. If you could even call that a conversation, that is. It was more of a solid five minute lecture about how it was my dog and therefore my responsibility. How I shouldn't leave others to do my job for me. Thankfully, I had enough sense by now to ignore the hypocrisy and simply nod and apologize with the fakest smile I could muster.

"Wow," Rin voiced breathlessly, "What a bitch."

Smirk twitching onto my lips, I leaned back in my seat with my right hand steadily squeezing the steering wheel as I chuckled, "Trust me. You have no clue."


	6. Chapter Six

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Six** _

"Rough weekend?"

I looked to my left seeing Paige gleaming happily at me as she sat down. Moving my things over to give her space, I nodded, "Something like that." She laughed softly, flashing me those perfect teeth of hers. I couldn't help but smile in return, settling deeper into my seat. I could feel Ino's gaze burning against the side of my head, though oddly enough, I couldn't bring myself to care.

She could get me to do just about anything she wanted but I refused to let her control every single aspect of my life.

If I wanted to talk to other people, I would.

So Paige and I continued to slip little jokes to each other throughout the class. Talking about the professor and his crazy stories he'd slip into the lecture to keep us awake. She was genuinely entertaining and I could probably spend all day listening to her go on and on. It was annoying that I couldn't invite other people over. It wasn't for my safety but rather for Ino's and while I didn't enjoy her company, I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her.

"Something wrong?" Paige asked innocently, her olive colored eyes showing heavy concern.

I shook my head, giving her a weak smile, "I'm fine, don't worry."

I could tell she didn't believe me but with our relationship still sitting at an acquaintance level, she knew not to pry. That didn't stop her from trying to work her way deeper into my life. "Give me your phone," she instructed. I watched her for a moment before hesitantly unlocking it and handing it over. I watched as she typed in her number, saving it to my contact list before returning it to me. "Now you can text me if you need to talk or if you're bored, I won't mind. You have to promise to text me though, okay?"

I swallowed the lump traveling up my throat, using every ounce of strength I had to fight off the blush I knew was forming.

She held up her pinky for good measure and without warning, laced it with mine. "Promise?" She repeated. Finally, I responded with a nod, mumbling out that I promised to text her later today.

Happy that she had gotten what she wanted, she pulled away slowly, biting her lip before focusing her attention back on our professor. I shut my eyes, repeating over and over in my head for me to calm down. She was just a girl. An undeniably attractive, funny and kind girl. She was a complete contrast to Ino, not in looks but in personality.

Why couldn't I have gotten a girl like her instead of Ino?

Perhaps it was for the best.

The more Ino gave me a hard time, the less likely it would be that I would be attracted to her. It made my job far less complicated and even if only a little, safer. Still, it was obvious that Ino wasn't too fond of me being too friendly, so the contact I'd have with Paige would have to be kept at a minimum.

I remained in my thoughts for the rest of the class, helping it to pass by a lot faster than I expected.

Standing up to leave, I felt an arm swing around my neck, pulling me in. My chin rested atop soft brown curls for a moment before Paige let me go. "I'll see you later, don't forget!" She tossed, rushing off to her next class. She had just hugged me, out of nowhere. While I would have liked to dwell on it longer, Ino had other plans, choosing to storm off without me.

Rolling my eyes at her immature behavior, I closed the gap between us with quick strides.

I didn't ask her what was wrong, already knowing from her actions. It was amusing to watch, I'd amit truthfully. How she tried to increase the space between us with no avail. She couldn't shake me, no matter how badly the both of us wanted. Unfortunately, the fun came to an abrupt end as a leg quickly extended out forcing Ino to the ground.

She managed to catch herself on her arms, just barely, glaring to her right at a girl with deep red hair and glasses.

I rushed over, taking her arms and helping her up, only for her to push me away a second later. "What the hell is your problem?" She hissed at the girl, shoving her back forcefully. The nameless girl only took a challenging step forward, forcing me to step between them with a scowl. "My problem is you," the girl spat harshly, "You rich brats don't belong here."

My scowl deepened, mumbling for the girl to back off.

She wasn't fazed, instead trying to step closer.

The look the girl gave me made me pause for a second. The words that followed next had me shook. "Why? Why the hell are you working for them? Have you fallen so low that your only option was to work for people like them? People who only care about themselves…" Her words were causing a spectacle and people were beginning to flock around.

I watched Ino, gauging the tensing of her jaw and to my slight surprise, the stinging of tears in her eyes.

"That's enough," I told the girl. "What I do and why I do it is none of your concern. You touch her again and I promise you'll wish you hadn't. The rest of you clear out of here there's nothing to see." The crowd separated, leaving room for Ino and I to push through. I managed to find a restroom, grateful to whatever god that existed to find that it was empty.

I took her chin, twisting it gently and eyeing the rest of her to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Stop," she ordered.

I did, not because she had told me too but rather the tone she had used was unlike any I'd ever heard from her before. It was soft, too soft for someone as headstrong and assertive as she was. I could tell from the way that she avoided my gaze that something was off but she wouldn't allow me to pry. "Take me home," she said, not waiting for an answer.

"You're going to miss a whole day's worth of lectures Ino," I mumbled, "I can't do that."

"That's an order," she sternly warned and I knew that was the end of it.

With a sigh, knowing that arguing it any further was futile, I nodded, following her out of the bathroom. She didn't even wait for me to get the door for her, getting herself and slipping her earbuds into her ear as she shut her eyes. I eyed her carefully on the silent trip home, trying my hardest to gauge just what was the problem only to come up empty handed.

Once we made it back, she swiftly strode up the steps and disappeared inside. By the time I had made it up myself, I wasn't surprised to see her door shut. With a careful twist of the knob, I confirmed that she had in fact locked it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I retreated to my own room, plopping on the bed as I whipped out my phone. Thankfully, Tenten was in the rest of our classes so I could get the rest of our assignments for the day from her.

With nothing else to do, I figured now would be as good a time as any for a nap. However, my mind began traveling off to places that I hadn't intended, remembering once face in particular that I had hoped to forget.

* * *

_"Sakura, you've been inside all day. Why don't you go out and look for something to do?"_

_Pulling my eyes up from the book I'd been familiarizing myself with for a test in two days, I guided them to the concerned gaze of my caretaker. It was true. I had woken up early this morning to go outside and train only to come back and force myself to study this material._

_Even at eleven years old, I was always taking my job seriously. After all, I wanted to win._

_Even if that meant depriving myself of a normal childhood._

_Rubbing my eyes and setting down my book, I sighed, "I have to study Lina. I don't have time to play right now." I watched as a scowl crept upon her lips. I could tell she wasn't happy with my answer, not that it was anything new. She sat down beside me, pushing my hair back from my face as she took my chin._

_"I know what this means to you sweetheart but I also don't want this to be your only dream. I want you to go out, have fun and try new things. Find someone or something to make you happy besides this, just in case it doesn't work out. It's what your mother would have wanted, don't you think?" She finished, fixing me with a stern look._

_Rolling my eyes, having heard this speech a million times before, I nodded._

_With a soft smile, she pressed her lips to my temple and rose from my bed. "Go on, dinner will be ready by the time you get back."_

_I nodded, watching her leave. With a sigh, I reluctantly hopped up from my bed and picked through my clothes. I knew it was tad bit cold but not terribly so. Shrugging on a black jacket and jeans, I pulled on my favorite sneakers and slipped out the door. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I walked down our street, occasionally waving at the people who recognized me._

_I began mulling over just what to do, having no clue where any of my classmates lived or how to get in touch with them._

_I knew there was a run down park a few minutes from my home, figuring that it would be a good place to start my search. Upon arrival, I wasn't shocked to see that it was completely empty. Not many kids came here and if they did, it was only to challenge one another to take on the deathtrap of broken slides and swings._

_Nonetheless, I decided to stick around._

_Settling on the cold ground under the slide, I fished a small book from my jacket pocket._

_I felt bad for not listening to Lina sometimes but ultimately, I just didn't care. I was outside which had to account for something but in reality, I was just being stubborn. I didn't have time to fool around what with preliminaries just around the corner. I had to take every opportunity available to study and train so that when the time came, everything would be a breeze._

_I suppose karma was bound to catch up with me sooner rather than later._

_It just so happened to come in the form of another child's laughter resonating from behind me._

_Peaking out from behind the slide, I spotted a girl running after a small dog. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a neat bun and green eyes glimmered in the faint sunlight. My eyes slipped down to the small dog she'd been running after. It was white, with pointed ears and black spots littering its fur. It would dart back and forth, tongue flailing about as he forced the girl into several abrupt twist and turns._

_Slowly peeling my eyes away, I refocused on my book, lips parting as I mumbled the words to myself._

_Suddenly, a soft whine brought my attention back to them. The girl is on the ground, holding her ankle with a pained expression on her face. I sighed, knowing fully well that I couldn't just ignore her. Hopping up to my feet, I slipped my notebook in my pocket and jogged over to her. With a small whimper, she tried to stand up only to let out a cry of pain. "Don't move just yet," I instructed her softly, dropping to my knees as my training suddenly kicked in._

_"This might hurt a bit," I warned, putting slight pressure on her ankle as I slowly straightened it out._

_She drew in a sharp breath, tears lingering in the corners of her eyes._

_She was trying to hold it in, I could tell. It didn't matter to me whether she cried or not. Pain was a part of life and everyone has their own response to it. Softly, I mumbled, "It's okay to cry ya know?" She shook her head quickly, "I'm not gonna cry! My big brother said that big girls shouldn't cry." Rolling my eyes, unable to stop the comment from flowing past my lips, I uttered, "Your brother is stupid."_

_I looked to her face, watching as it scrunched in annoyance._

_I definitely should've kept my mouth shut._

_"Hey...look my bad. I didn't mean to say-"_

_"You're rude." She sharply interrupted. I frowned, knowing fully well that her comment was technically true but feeling offended nonetheless. Choosing to ignore it, I returned back to her ankle. It wasn't broken, that much was obvious. However, there's no way she'd make that trip back on her own. Knowing that there was only one way to solve this, I turned around, settling onto my knees._

_"Get on," I instructed._

_"Why?" She asked._

_Another irritated sigh. "You won't be able to walk back home. I'll carry you back," I responded simply. She was hesitating, that was obvious. I didn't blame her but it wasn't exactly common for a kid to kidnap another kid. Not that I was aware of at least. Finally, she relented and managed to drape her arms over my shoulders and with a huff, I stood._

_I glanced down at the surprisingly well behaved dog. He stood when I did, eyes watching me carefully as he tagged alongside me._

_After a bit of investigating, I discovered that she didn't live terribly far from my home. The walk was pretty quiet, the only noise coming from my feet hitting the pavement. It was midway through our walk that she asked my name. "Sakura," I answered coolly, making a left at the corner when she instructed me to do so._

_"Sakura huh? That's pretty, like the flower," she slipped casually._

_Me on the other hand, I couldn't stop the burning of my cheeks at her comment. I forced my teeth together, swallowing nervously as her arms squeezed me tighter. "My name is Reika but you can just call me Rei. Okay?" I nodded, thankful to see her home appear off to the right. The dog rushed past me, yipping as he ran up to their door and scratched softly._

_I took her up the three brick steps, keeping her arm around my shoulder for support._

_Within seconds, the door was opened, revealing a boy, perhaps a few years older than myself. His tousled black hair drooped over his face as his piercing green eyes stared back at us. "What happened to you Rei?" He asked with concern. "I fell after chasing Miko and I hurt my ankle but Sakura carried me home!" She exclaimed excitedly._

_He stared back at me making me feel completely uncomfortable. With a sigh, he mimicked my actions and placed her on his back. "I can't exactly let you leave without thanking you, how about you stay for dinner?" He offered. I shook my head, giving him a slight bow, "That's alright, dinner's almost ready back home. I should be heading there soon anyway." He nodded in understanding but Rei gave me a pleading look instead._

_"I'll see you around," I tossed with a wave as I made my way down the steps. She called after me, telling me to promise that I'd come by again. Little did I know, I'd end up sneaking off to come see her everytime she asked. She was my first friend. My only friend. My first everything. Yet no matter how special she was, I never stopped by to tell her I was leaving._

_What was worse?_

_I'll never get the chance to tell her I'm home._

* * *

It was the sound of screaming that had snapped me awake. Ripping me from my blast from the past.

Of course her door was still locked and no matter how hard I screamed her name, she couldn't hear me.

Backing up, I kicked the door hard enough for it to open. I didn't have time to take in the layout of Ino's room, my first instinct was rushing to her side as I tore the covers from her body and pried away her clawing hands. She was covered in sweat and her eyes shut tight. Nothing physically seemed to be wrong; no bruises or anything like that.

However, it was clear that she was a victim of her own thoughts, trapped in some nightmare with demons I wouldn't imagine.

I shook her gently, calling her name and hoping for some sort of reaction. She didn't budge. A more forceful shake caused her eyes to shoot open and a gasp for air to jump from her lungs. She was trembling, eyes darting nervously to each dark corner of her room before focusing on me.

I shifted back slowly, giving her space to breathe as she came to. I looked on, concern evident on my face.

She looked down at her hands, shock crossing her features as if she hadn't expected them to be there. "Ino," I whispered. Her eyes carefully looked to mine, breath still releasing in short gasps. I reached for her slowly only for her hand to dart out and strike me across the cheek as she screamed for me not to touch her.

Something was wrong.

I could tell by the way that her eyes seemed to look past me rather than at me that something was amiss. Then suddenly, everything seemed to refocus. She ripped her eyes away, snatching her phone from the nightstand and typing a number in before bringing it to her ear. Her voice was shaky and nervous as she called for someone to come over.

The conversation ended abruptly as she dropped the phone at her side. Pulling her knees to her chest, she drew in a long breath.

"Ino...what ha-"

"Get out," she ordered hastily, eyes glaring at me coldly. If I wasn't sure she hated me before, I was sure of it now. "Ayame will be here soon, get the door for her and show her to my room. We are not to be disturbed, understood?" With an annoyed acceptance, I nodded, "Yeah, got it."

I left her room without a moment's hesitation, finding Aris standing there and waiting for me with his head tilted to the side in confusion.

I sighed, motioning for him to follow as we hung out in the common room. Flipping on the TV, we sat there comfortably, me scratching Aris' ear as his tail thumped happily against the couch. The time spent waiting was brief, perhaps only ten minutes had passed before the doorbell rang. As expected, Aris erupted into a fit of soft barks, forcing me to roll my eyes as I followed him to the door, scooping him up as I opened it.

Ayame was there, Rin as well. Ayame gave me a weak smile as she nodded in the direction of Ino's room, "That's it?" I nodded, watching her go as she disappeared behind the door, shutting it and locking it without another word.

"What was that about?" Rin asked, taking Aris from my arms as he excitedly whined.

Staring at the shut door, I sighed, "Hell if I know. She just kinda spazzed out of nowhere and I went to go check on her. She woke up, called Ayame and here you guys are."

She nodded, following me into my room, claiming my bed as she stretched out, kicking off her shoes. "You're making yourself a tad bit comfortable, don't you think?" I huffed, slipping my hands into the pockets of my sweats as I eyed her warily. Smooth smirk slipping onto her lips, "Why shouldn't I? Ayame said we were staying here for the night."

Staying here?

What would they need to stay for?

"You guys didn't even bring any extra clothes or anything," I replied with a scowl, not completely understanding what was happening. "Well, Ino and Ayame are pretty close so I'm sure they'll just share whatever Ino has, not like she can't buy more," Rin tossed tiredly, settling further into my pillows.

"And as for you?"

"Oh, I can't borrow yours?"

I blushed. Taking notice of her shape, I had no doubt that she could fit in my clothes, though they'd be a little loose perhaps. Nervously rubbing my neck, I nodded, "Fine. Pick whatever, I'll come in when you're done." She scoffed, hopping up from my bed and shoving me to the side, "Don't be a prude Haruno."

I ripped my eyes away as she peeled off her clothes one by one.

I didn't dare open them until she said it was okay.

And when I did, I swore my heart skipped a beat. Hair tied into a messy bun and donning only my favorite hoodie. Climbing back into my bed, she stretched out with a yawn, "Don't mind me, I'll be out in seconds." She settled in under my sheets, Aris curling up beside her as they both made themselves comfortable.

And I had to admit, I liked the view. I liked it a lot.

* * *


	7. Chapter Seven

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Seven** _

"Can't sleep?"

I quickly turned to see Ayame leaving Ino's room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Relaxing slowly, I returned my tired gaze to the television. I had offered to sleep on the couch so that Rin could have my bed, however, she kept mentioning how she didn't wish to impose. So I indulged her, claiming one half of the bed long enough for her to fall asleep, only to slip out a moment later. Surprisingly enough, Aris hadn't noticed my departure either, instead remaining equally passed out with her in my bed.

Ayame was right on the mark with her acknowledgement.

I couldn't sleep and I'd hate to admit that it was all because of Ino.

I didn't care for her, not anymore than my position deemed necessary. Still, I was human and seeing her like that only concerned me. Whatever it was seemed to mess her up pretty bad and if it was something serious, she needed to get help. Still, after that little stunt she pulled, it was hard for me to put forth any real effort in seeing that she was alright.

That wasn't my job.

I protected her from everything physical that the world threw her way. Her personal demons weren't any of my business.

Needless to say, the nagging voice of doing what was right had forced me from my sleep and into a space where I could think more freely. I wouldn't admit it to her but Ayame came in at just the right time. Just as the thoughts were beginning to suffocate, she broke the silence. Without permission, not that I would've said no, she claimed the free space beside me on the couch, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Why are you up?" I found myself asking, addressing her with no formalities.

She didn't seem to notice, or rather, she just didn't care. Casual little smile on her lips, she tossed, "Same as you."

I arched my brow, taking note of her tired eyes and disheveled hair in the faint glow of the television. She looked like she had a rough night, at least from where I was sitting. She noticed the way my eyes lingered, suddenly aware of her current state, she reached up to brush the hair from her face. "Sorry, I must look a mess," she joked faintly.

Before I could catch myself, I slipped and muttered, "You look fine."

She offered me a light smile, whispering a thanks.

"Do you drink?" She asked next, catching me off guard. I arched my brow, watching as she rose to her feet. With a mischievous smile pulling, she slipped into the kitchen, navigating as if she'd lived here her entire life. I frowned, following her steps and asking the first question that ran through my mind, "Are you even old enough to drink?"

She hummed, reaching into the fridge as she called out, "Depends. In  _this_  country, no."

I scoffed, finding her joke to be only slightly amusing, "Unfortunately for you, we're  _in_  this country. You could get in trouble for that."

Pulling out a large bottle of some dark colored substance, she spun to face me, kicking the fridge shut with her foot. "What gonna rat me out kid?" She teased, bumping my hip as she passed by. "I'm not a kid," I corrected, following her as she returned to plop down on the couch, patting the empty space beside her. I eyed it hesitantly, every ounce of sense I had urging me to say no.

"I don't bite, not very hard at least," she joked again.

The roll of my eyes came almost like second nature.

Eventually, I sat beside her, relaxing as I had been prior to her arrival. She removed the cap from the bottle, taking a long swig of the liquid. Her face scrunched up tightly before a satisfied look crossed her features next. "So I take it, you don't drink?" She asked, extending the bottle towards me questioningly.

"I tried once," I admitted with a nervous rub at my neck, "It tasted awful."

Her laugh was soft as she shook her head, "Yeah they're not all amazing unfortunately. You seem like you'd like this one though. Dark seems right up your alley."

She made another little push for me to take the bottle but I still wasn't a hundred percent sure. I had tried liquor once and couldn't stomach the taste long enough to so much as take another sip. It was foul and it burned my throat before making the rest of my insides feel like fire. Perhaps I just hadn't had enough but I failed to see why others my age found it so damn enjoyable.

Maybe...a little taste wouldn't be so bad.

I took the bottle, eyeing it suspiciously before fixing her with a look.

She grinned, eyes wide with excitement as she waited. "I promise my mouth is clean, don't worry about catching anything," she joked, actually forcing my lips to twitch into a small smirk. Funny. Of all things, the last I was concerned about was drinking after her. She didn't seem like the type to do anything too  _bold_.

With nothing else to lose, I nodded and took my first sip.

My first reaction? It burned like holy hell as it raced down my throat.

Burned so bad that it forced me into a fit of coughs. Her hand was on my back immediately, patting to help ease my coughs. I could see that she was trying her best to hold in a laugh, her teeth biting her lip so hard I'm surprised she wasn't drawing blood yet. Surprisingly, she kept her hand on my back as I slowly began to calm down.

In a cheeky little voice, she asked, "Good?"

I couldn't deny, it was pretty good. The slightly sweet sensation I picked up at the end made it a little more bearable.

"What is that?" I asked, handing the bottle back over.

"Rum. Captain Morgan to be precise," she grinned, downing another gulp before setting it on the table beside us, "One of my personal favorites. I had a feeling you'd like it." She was right. It wasn't overwhelmingly strong, not in taste anyway. As for whether or not I'd start to feel anything from that one swig alone was another matter entirely.

She settled back into the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. She looked slightly off, as if something was troubling her.

So of course, I asked, "Are you alright?"

Her lips twitched into a broken smile as she stared emptily at the television. "Me," she began in a hushed voice, "I'm fine. Ino on the other hand, not so much." That little piece of information held my attention. "What do you mean?" I asked curiously, figuring that this was the perfect opportunity to get details about what happened last night.

She ran her fingers through her hair, reaching for the bottle again.

Bringing it to her lips, she took a long gulp, her eyes squeezing shut as a breath of relief escaped her lips.

"She's having nightmares again."

"Nightmares?" I mumbled.

She nodded, rubbing her neck tiredly. "She's been having them for years, even back when we were kids. They weren't as bad back then but after a while we both got so busy so I couldn't visit to check on her as much as I would've liked. Poor thing."

Poor thing?

Did she not have the slightest clue as to what Ino was like?

I guess my skepticism must have caught on as she gave a light laugh. "Don't get me wrong, she's a handful for sure. I promise you, she's not the bad guy here," she stated, eyes holding a certain seriousness about them. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I leaned into the couch. Unable to hide my scowl, I mumbled, "Sorry if I don't buy it. I'm just having a really hard time seeing her as anything more than a spoiled brat who abuses her power."

"You don't know her," she whispered, "You don't know a single thing about what she's been through."

It was the softness of her voice and narrowing of her eyes at her trembling fingers in her lap that forced me quiet once more.

Why was she defending her so hard? Something told me that whatever it was, it ran a lot deeper than simply her looking out for her equally rich friend.

I stared her down, lips parting as a question hung upon my tongue. However, I couldn't bring myself to actually force any words out. Then again, it would seem I didn't have to as I felt her fingers slip silently over to mine. She laced them together, thumb brushing over my knuckles as she gave a small laugh. Warm honey colored eyes held my nervous green ones. She whispered low just between the two of us, "She told me about how you stuck up for her yesterday. About the girl who tripped her up and called her out."

I was grateful that it was dark enough to hide my blush as I pulled my hand away to rub my burning neck, "I'm her bodyguard, I did my job. Don't read too much into it."

"Mm, how can I not? You claim she's nothing more than a rotten brat but according to Ino, your words yesterday makes me believe otherwise," she challenged with a knowing smile. I reached for the bottle and she didn't bother to stop me. Feeling more daring, or perhaps just looking for a way to escape, I took a longer pull, not setting it down until the burning sensation became too much to bear.

"I just...don't like to see people attacked over things they have no control over," I admitted, the words flowing loosely from my lips. "She didn't ask to be born into a rich family. Still, she shouldn't walk all over everyone."

The silence that followed my answer was needed.

It gave me time to silently regret allowing myself into this situation in the first place.

It seemed it wasn't over just yet. Very carefully, Ayame crept over, resting her head on my shoulder as she hummed peacefully. "There's something I want you to know but it has to stay between us for the time being, alright?" She asked with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. I nodded, trying to ignore the feel of her being so close. I wasn't too fond of have my personal space invaded but under the influence of alcohol and the fact that she was incredibly attractive, it was hard to say no.

"Ino," she breathed out nervously, "She's...suffering from PTSD."

Wait...what?

I snapped my eyes down to meet hers to gauge her reaction but she refused to look at me. Instead, she slid her arm across my stomach, holding onto me tightly and fisting the fabric of my shirt. "I trust you and I think you might be able to help. She has these nightmares and she calls me to come help. I just...worry that I might not be able to get to her in time one night. So I need you to know this."

Her voice was so desperate, practically pleading for my help.

God, I wanted to help so badly. Before I could, I would need answers.

"Ayame," I called softly, tightening my arm around her, "What happened to Ino?" She squeezed me tightly, cheek rubbing against me. "Sakura...Lord Inoichi murdered Ino's mother when she was a little girl. It happened right in front of her but she was too afraid to say anything and they couldn't find enough evidence against him."

My heart dropped from my chest straight into my stomach.

No way. No way did Ino have a reason as to why she was so messed up.

My throat was tight and I could feel my blood run cold. Was she messing with me? No. No one would joke about something like that. That was far too dark a topic to just use for a means of fucking with someone. I carefully detached myself from her arms, only to grip her shoulders and force her to look at me.

That way I could see.

See for myself that she wasn't trying to trip me up.

That she wasn't just trying to justify Ino's actions so I'd think nothing of it.

But with the way her eyes were so glossed over with tears and she kept fighting to look anywhere but me, I knew. She was serious. "Why?" I asked, dropping my hands slowly into my lap. "According to Ino, her mother and father never saw eye to eye. She didn't want Ino growing up in their estate. She wanted her to live a normal life where she could be happy."

"And her father?"

She laughed. "He wanted what all rich doting father's want for their little girls. To stay with him until she came of age so he could marry her off and increase his fortune. He doesn't want her to take over his business, simply marry and pop out kids to take over another, thus creating a wealthy chain of Yamanaka industries with him as the head."

Fuck man.

The last thing I wanted was to see Ino come out as the good guy here.

Man, sitting here trying to take it all in was heavy. I hated her after the stunt she pulled but damn, even I wasn't cold enough to think she deserved something like that. Leaning forward, I gripped my head, massaging it as I tried to think of the right way to go about this. On one hand, this information had the power to change the whole dynamic of Ino and I's mangled and twisted relationship.

On the other?

I could go about, pretending as if Ayame and I had never had the conversation in the first place.

I'm sure that the last thing Ino wanted was some pity party from the likes of me. She didn't need my sympathy with the crushing amount of support she had from Ayame. Then, sooner than I would've liked, Ayame had asked the question I'd been struggling to answer myself.

"What will you do?"

"I don't know," I admitted through a broken sigh, "For now, I think we should both try to get some sleep."

I stood first, grabbing the bottle to return it to the fridge. When I returned, Ayame stood there, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. Her sudden behavior was unsettling and for some reason, I found myself closing the distance as I slipped my arm over her shoulder and pulled her in slowly "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."

Her fingers slipped to my shirt, clutching it tight as she mumbled against me, "Promise."

"Yeah," I assured her.

It wasn't enough. She was still holding on and I wasn't so sure of what to do. Yet, the slow venture of her fingers to my neck was nerve wracking. She scratched softly before tugging me down. It happened so fast that I wasn't sure it had even happened in the first place. But just like that, her lips were teasing and brushing against my own.

It ended just as soon as it began as she slipped softly, "Sorry, I might've drank a little too much."

I was far too speechless to even think of a way to come back from that.

She didn't leave me enough time, scratching my waist gently before whispering a "good night." With that, she slipped back into Ino's room, shutting the door and leaving me to plop onto the couch as I mumbled to myself over and over again to get a grip. She was stunning, terribly so. Mysterious and tantalizing. The kiss? Addicting even though it only lasted seconds.

But in spite of all of that...she was still off limits.

All I could think about was how I really wished that weren't the case.

* * *

Ino had been pretty quiet the past few days.

If I hadn't seen the other side of her, I would've thought things were perfectly fine.

But I knew better.

I had seen what had happened that night and Ayame had given me the specifics. Things had definitely changed though whether they were for the best was still up for debate. She kept our interactions to a minimum and when we did speak, she'd use that hushed little voice of hers.

It was weird to see her like this with me and then go and fake with her actual friends. I'm almost certain it was because I had seen her at a weak point. One she had never intended me to see. Perhaps she was concerned that I'd use that against her or belittle her for it. If so, she couldn't be more wrong.

If there was any message that I lived by, it was to never stoop to another's level.

Forgiveness was the ultimate payback and though it was hard, it was rewarding.

So her secret was safe with me. Then again, the more I thought about it, there was another reason I didn't bring it up. It was because of a certain girl who I was trying to get out of my head. Every time Ino dragged me out and we met up with her friends, I found my eyes slipping to Ayame from time to time.

She'd look and made it painfully obvious that she knew what was going through my mind.

The little bite of her lip and smile she'd flash before returning to whatever pointless conversation they were having was torture.

I needed to get it together. Thankfully, Ino's excusal from her friends provided the perfect cover. I did the same, following her away from the table she and her friends had been crowded around, making our way to the restroom. So I stood off to the side while she entered a stall taking a moment to get herself together before exiting.

She stood there, fingers clutching the sink as she drew in a shaky breath.

I frowned, watching as she splashed water over her face and mumbled something inaudible to herself.

Abruptly, she commanded, "Wait outside. I'll be a minute."

My frown only deepened as I remained glued to my spot. If she thought she was going to get rid of me that easily then she was terribly mistaken. But then I caught it. The stinging red of her eyes as she rubbed at them with the base of her palm furiously. She was crying.

I made a move to close the space between us but she shook her head and pleaded once more for me to wait outside.

Reluctantly, I did.

Leaning against the wall, I allowed my mind to wander back to a few nights ago. Everything seemed to remain fresh within my memory. The flavor of the rum I drank. The hushed whispers Ayame and I shared. The brief feel of her lips on my own. All of it sat there, practically begging to be remembered.

How I had managed to find myself in such a twisted position in such a short time was beyond me. There were clearly more cons to outweigh any possible good that could come of this but the few pros in between seemed to nearly bring them into even odds. I couldn't get too comfortable here. Kakashi's advice about not getting too attached was wisdom in its purest form. For now, I'd just settle on taking everything in stride and hoping for the best.

A few minutes later, Ino slipped out of the bathroom.

We stared each other down briefly only for her to pull away first, "Let's go for a walk. I don't want to go back."

She didn't wait for my answer or approval. She simply walked off and knew that I'd follow. I didn't bother to speak, knowing it wouldn't do any good. Instead, I familiarized myself with some of the other places on campus I have yet to visit. Some were obviously lecture halls while others were local eateries and various shops.

It was interesting place to have a campus but whoever had planned its structure, definitely had the right idea.

"Hey! Ino!"

We both paused, turning around to see a boy and girl boarding towards us. The boy came to an abrupt stop, tapping the board with his foot before snatching it up in his arms. I didn't know the kid but for him to know Ino and address her so formally, he must've been one of the heirs. I notice of his boyish charm and relaxed air looming about him. His tousled brown hair hung in strands underneath a charcoal colored beanie. His fitted shirt revealed strong muscles, not something I'd expect from a skater. Of course, the tattoos. The ran the length of his arms, each telling a story of their own.

"Kiba? Shouldn't you be in class?" Ino asked though I could make out the smallest hint of a smile pulling on her lips.

Rubbing his neck with a charming grin, he laughed, "Not right now. I've got a few hours to kick it. Plus, I can always make time for you, Princess."

Princess?

Give me a break.

Of course. Ino just had to be swarming with attention from guys and this kid was hooked. I slipped my eyes over to see the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks. I found myself instinctively rolling my eyes as I watched their little interaction. God they were like kids. Honestly, the whole scene was a tad disgusting to watch.

So it was that little scene that forced my attention the girl who had strode over with Kiba.

Long red hair draped over her shoulders, the top covered by a backwards cap. Her figure was slender without looking too frail. Tattoos covered her arms and the upper portion of her thighs. Her eyes were warm like Ayame's, though slightly darker. She stood there, eyes seemingly locked in Ino's direction. I frowned, wondering what her deal was but decided to keep my mouth shut.

In an instant, her eyes were on me.

And I swear I had never felt more vulnerable.

Extending her hand, she waited for mine to grasp hers. "Tayuya," she introduced, a small smirk producing itself on her lips. Hesitantly, I reached my hand in turn, grasping her fingers lightly and feeling my skin burn a second later. "Sakura," I whispered, surprised that I managed to find my voice in the first place.

I snapped back into focus, feeling a hand tugging on mine.

With a tight frown, Ino mumbled for me to follow.

And I did, but not without giving the girl a final glance over my shoulder and praying that the weekend would come again soon so I could find her. I didn't know what it was or how to explain it but I just had to see her again.


	8. Chapter Eight

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Eight** _

As I sat here, out on some isolated beach with Ino at half past five in the morning, I came to some conclusions. More specifically, conclusions about Ino.

The first? That the girl I'd met on the first day wasn't her.

The stubborn, bratty and self righteous kid who seemed to be out to get me, wasn't her.

It was hard to label these conclusions as solid facts after only being with her just under a month. Still, I was almost certain that I was right. Instead, the girl who sat beside me, eyes cast forward out at the sun gleaming just over the oceans edge, knees pulled to her chest was in fact, the real Ino. A quiet girl who kept to herself and was constantly lost in her own thoughts as she tried to find herself.

That was the real Ino Yamanaka.

And it was in knowing that, that I found myself more and more interested in getting to know  _that_  girl.

It was obvious by now, between the two of us, that she was done holding up her front for me. I had seen her at her weakest so any chance of me sitting still like some obedient little dog was over. Even still, I wouldn't go out of my way to agitate her on purpose. If she asked, I'd do it, just as long as she didn't get too arrogant with the way she asked.

For instance, this morning.

She had gently slipped into my room in the middle of the night, shaking me gently as she asked if I could take her to go see the sunrise. Though I was incredibly tired, I agreed and drove us to the beach she'd instructed me about, taking Aris along for the ride. So here we were, sitting here in complete silence, enjoying the view and thinking about something the other would never know.

That is, until Ino abruptly decided to speak what was on her mind.

In a soft voice, eyes set dead ahead, she asked, "Do you hate me?"

My eyes studied her for just a moment before facing off into the distance as well. I pondered her question, brief memories of everything that happened up until now floating around in my head. I had to think very carefully about my answer but at the same time, I knew what it was the moment she asked. Shaking my head as I leaned back on my palms, I answered just as soft, "No, I don't hate you."

"Why?"

This time, I allowed my eyes to linger on her frame. She didn't return my look but I didn't need her to. I could see from here, the frown etched on her lips as her brows furrowed in confusion. ' _Why?'_ She asked me. Hell, even I didn't have an answer. After everything, I had plenty of reasons to want nothing more than for her to simply stop existing in my life, all of them completely justifiable.

But I couldn't do it.

And I suppose a deeper part of me understood why.

I didn't hate her because I knew it wasn't her who was behind everything. While she may have been directly involved in the attempts to make my life hell, I knew now that she was simply putting up a front for her father. Perhaps I was just being tad too optimistic and I simply wanted to see her in a better light than before. I wouldn't hate her at the end of the day because I knew that in the end, she was just like me.

Just two kids trapped in a shitty situation beyond their control.

So I sympathized with her.

Reaching up my hand to weave through the tangles of my hair, I mumbled, "We're the same. You and me." I waited for her eyes to flicker over to my own before I continued, "I won't hate you for things you have no control over Ino. Our only real difference is that we grew up in different places but at the end of the day, we both come from a pretty messed up childhood."

"She told you…"

"Yeah, she did."

For a little while longer, we were silent once more. She sat there, taking it all in while I focused my attention on Aris. Clearly this was his first time in the sand, rolling around on his back while flicking it about. Then just as quickly, he hopped up, shaking the grains from his fur before playfully bounding up to Ino.

I watched as she slowly reached her hand out towards him, fingers slipping to scratch at his ears and like clockwork, he was wagging his tail contently.

"I don't want to hate you either," she added in finally.

"You hate me?"

"Not for reasons you might think," she whispered. "I hate you...because I want to  _be_  you. I hate that you grew up outside a mansion. That your friends were just ordinary kids like you. That everywhere you went people didn't look at you like you were some sort of freak just because you're royalty. I get that your life wasn't amazing but...I'd choose that over this any day."

Literally, I was speechless.

One, because I hadn't expected her to openly state her feelings to me like that. Second? The fact that she thought of my life as being more desirable than her own spoke volumes about how little I actually knew about Ino. Tightening my jaw, I fought with myself for a moment.

How was I supposed to respond to that?

At one point in time, I truly used to think that my life was hell. But now?

For someone with way more money, opportunities and potential to look me in my eye and say that they wanted my life? It hit hard. Just what kind of life was so cruel that you'd prefer to be poor. A life where you watched your single mother struggle to make ends meet to take care of you and her. A past where from day one, you were nothing but a number on a list waiting for the moment to become more than that by becoming a guard dog.

Was that really what she wanted? Was that really any way to live?

I suppose I had taken too long to think it over.

"Let's go home," she voiced through a shaky and nervous breath. I was up first, extending my hand towards her. She eyed it for a second before slipping her fingers into my hand as I helped her up. We walked back slowly, me getting the door for her to which she replied with a soft thanks. We sat in the parking lot for a moment, neither of us speaking, neither of us moving.

The only reason I hadn't pulled off yet was because of the pained expression sitting on her face. Eyes shut tight, I watched as her hands anxiously twitched in her lap. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. I might not have hated her and I knew she didn't hate me, not in a literal sense, but we weren't exactly friends. And yet, I wanted to help. It went against everything I believed in to sit and watch someone suffer silently with the ability to help.

Carefully, I slipped my hand over and rested it on top of her trembling ones.

Instantly, her eyes shot open as she warily eyed my hand before her eyes slipped up to mine. They were confused but also desperate. Uncertain yet grateful. I gave her a small nod and with that, she laced her fingers together with my own and shut her eyes once more. Slowly but surely, she began to unwind. There was no smile on my face, just a worried frown as I waited before asking her if she was ready.

A single nod was all I needed before I took us home.

And even though I didn't smile, I couldn't deny the pride I felt in keeping her grounded the whole trip back.

* * *

"This place is pretty huge for it to be all outdoors, dontcha think?" Naruto practically screeched in my ear.

I shoved him away with an annoyed scowl, meanwhile, silently admitting to myself that he was in fact right. With most of Ino's friends having finished up early with their classes, they had decided on little outing to an outlet mall. It was definitely pretty amazing considering we didn't have any back home. All of our items were purchased from a mall on a much smaller scale than this with only a few stores making up the place.

But this? This was pretty damn huge.

I'm sure the rest of the heirs were used to things like this but as for me and the rest of the few protectors, this was a brand new experience. Ino, along with Temari, Ayame, Kiba and Sasuke walked in front while the rest of us stayed back at a fair distance as to not get in their way. Even though we were stuck on guard duty, I had to admit, the little outing was nice.

There was plenty to see and should I decide to pick up something, I had a nice little bit of spending money. Unfortunately, I couldn't just leave. Ino had to be in my sights at all times while we were out so wherever she choose to go, I'd follow. And though I knew it was my job, I never allowed my eyes to leave her for longer than a minute.

"What's with you?"

Rin nudged me in my side, effectively snatching my eyes from Ino but only for a second. Shaking my head, I brushed off her comment, "Nothing." She scoffed, keeping up with my long strides as we followed the others into a store, "That's bullshit. You're being awfully quiet."

"I'm always quiet."

She huffed, cheeks turning red slightly. I found my lips twitching into a smirk, realizing that I had won this round. Still, I wasn't  _too_  proud in my victory to leave her hanging. Ruffling her hair, I reassured her the best way I could, "I'm fine, don't worry." The burning in her cheeks only intensified as she swatted my hand away, earning a loud laugh from Naruto.

I rolled my eyes as Rin proceeded to snatch him into a headlock, quickly favoring looking for Ino amongst the rows of clothes. Spotting her, I relaxed immediately. That was, until Tayuya suddenly appeared beside me putting me on edge for reasons I couldn't quite explain. "Something catch your eye Haruno?" She asked slyly as I kept at a good distance, watching Ino laugh at something Sasuke whispered in her ear. Unintentionally, I felt the scowl slip onto my lips.

"No," I rushed out quickly.

Her soft laugh caught my attention, watching as her fingers removed the cap from her head, smoothing her hair before placing it back on her head. "You're a terrible liar. You look like you're ready to bite Uchiha's head off," she said calmly yet I could make out the teasing tone in her voice. Having no reason to lie, I countered, "I'm doing my job. You should be focusing less on what I'm doing and more on Kiba."

Unfortunately for me, she didn't seem the least bit phased by my comment.

"Oh trust me, I don't need to worry about my boy. He might not look it but he can hold his own. Now you, I can see. Ino's got a whole fanbase out there. Guys and girls alike would kill for a chance to be in the same room as her. She's got the most business knowhow, the third wealthiest of all the heirs and easily the most attractive. You got your hands full Haruno," she finished with a grin.

What the hell was with her?

Why in the hell did she make my blood run cold as soon as I looked at her?

Patting my cheek, she chuckled, "Tighten up Haruno. Can't get cold feet with a job like this." With that last piece of advice, she turned and left me alone. An annoyed groan slipped my lips as I tried to figure out where Ino was again. This time, I only caught a glimpse of her hair before I was practically tackled into a hug.

Glancing down to see whose arms were wrapped around my neck, I relaxed when I saw that familiar curly brown hair.

I didn't bother fighting the smile that was begging to be seen as I joked, "Were you trying to take me out Paige?" Her laugh was infectious as she pulled away slowly, "Consider it payback since you never texted me back you jerk!" I could see that she was kidding but I still felt guilty nonetheless. In the span of a second, my grin had faltered as I tried to apologize.

She shook her head, easy grin still there as she assured me, "Relax, you were probably busy. No worries. At least put your number in my phone so I have someway to reach you. I was going to invite you out but it looks like you managed to find your way here on your own." I nodded, taking her phone and adding my number quickly, "Something like that. I'm here with a few others thought I'm not too sure where they are right now."

A quick glance around confirmed that I was in fact alone with Paige.

There was no sign of the others anywhere and I was almost certain they had slipped away to another store. A situation that wasn't exactly good for me.

However, Paige seemed to want to keep me here. Tugging her hair behind her ear, she fixed me with a look, "Are you in a hurry? I was going to see if you wanted to walk around a bit, maybe grab a quick bite to eat?" I could hear her question but my mind was elsewhere as my eyes darted back and forth the outside of the store, Ino nowhere in sight.

She followed my desperate eyes, craning to see what I was looking for.

Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Are you looking for your girlfriend?"

Pause.

Girlfriend?

For a second, I forgot about any and everything that was on my mind literally a minute ago. Confusion etched onto my face, I dumbly asked, "What?" She stared me down before shaking her head, "The blonde girl you're always with. The one who gives me a clear look to fuck off whenever I talk to you in class. Is she the one you're looking for?"

Odd.

I only ever noticed Ino giving me death stares in class rather than Paige herself. How long had that been a thing?

"Yeah," I admitted, "She's the one I'm looking for but she's not my girlfriend." I whipped out my phone, mentally berating myself for not thinking to do it sooner as I quickly texted Ino to ask her where she was. "Ex?" Paige asked curiously, following me as I walked down one row of storefronts. "You're awfully curious," I stated, relaxing when I saw Ino had texted back with a clear direction of how to get to the store they were in.

"I just don't want to overstep any boundaries," she told me, voice softening.

I rolled my eyes and offered her another smile, slowing down so she could keep up, "You're fine Paige. It's hard to describe our relationship but it's nothing like that. We aren't dating and we weren't ever dating. It's just complicated but that doesn't affect anything you or I do. I promise." She eased up a bit, sheepishly rubbing her neck, "Watch yourself with the promises, you don't exactly have a good track record right now."

I laughed, finding her slight jab to be a bit amusing, "Just let me know how I can make it up to you."

I meant it as a joke but when I felt her hand lock with my own, I stopped. Her eyes avoided my own for a bit until I called her name softly. A second later, words were practically spilling from her mouth, "My friends are having a little party this Saturday night and I'd love for you to make it if you can. If you don't want to then that's okay too! I just...I thought it would be fun to hang out with you outside of class because you seem really fun and-"

"Paige...slow down. Text me the details and I should be able to swing by for a bit, okay?" I quickly cut her off with a single finger placed on her lips. She nodded frantically and with that, we continued down the sidewalk until I saw the store Ino had mentioned they were in. For the upteenth time today, I had Ino back in my sights and I was finally at ease.

"The hell have you been?" Tenten asked, alerting everyone else to my presence.

A second later, everyone's eyes were on Paige who looked nothing short of uncomfortable.

"I was with a friend," I responded in the dryest voice I could muster. There was no need for introductions. Like Kakashi had said, anyone who wasn't affiliated with the system, wasn't exactly ideal to keep around. I didn't want her to feel like an outcast, something I was far too familiar with. Seeing Sasuke stroll over immediately put me on alert, pushing Paige back behind me.

Arching his brow, he leaned to my ear and whispered arrogantly, "I'll say it once and  _only_  once. Ino, is the only girl who you need to be focusing on. Whatever  _this_  is, you need to shut it down,  _now_  before people get hurt. This isn't a line of business people like her need to get mixed up in. Understand?" I nodded but I should've known what to expect from someone like Sasuke. He wasn't just all talk.

Grabbing the front of my jacket, he repeated again, "I asked, if you understood…"

"She doesn't belong to you Sasuke," I heard Ino hiss from behind him, "Let her go. She knows what she's doing."

He released his hold, brushing past me, being sure to bump me on purpose. He didn't even have to say anything but with an annoyed look, Naruto was following him out of the store. I felt Paige tug on the back of my jacket, forcing me to turn and give her an apologetic look to which she returned with a half smile. "I'll text you the details. Sorry to hold you up, I'll see you later." And with a quick hug, she was gone too.

The silence was awkward but I think we all knew that this little outing was over.

Weak goodbyes were exchanged as we all went our separate ways. I escorted Ino back to the car but this time she didn't bother waiting for me to get the door. She was annoyed and I wasn't about to go poking at her just to get a reaction. I took us back to our place but an incoming text kept me from following Ino immediately upstairs.

_**Hey so that was hella awkward, sorry to dip on you like that! :/ Here's the deets for Saturday's party!** _

_**2839 West Olen Dr** _

_**Suite J** _

_**Kerian, Iota 9-115189114** _

_**Starts at 2100** _

_**Really hope you can make it! (;** _

I smirked, texting her back that I should be able to make it but I'd let her know closer to Saturday. It was only Tuesday so I had plenty of time to figure things out. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I made my way upstairs, noticing that the door was locked.

What reason would she have to lock the door?

Granted she wasn't in the best mood when we left but that didn't seem to be directly aimed at me.

Fishing my keys back out, I unlocked the door, tossing them onto the coffee table. "Ino?" I called, tapping her door gently as I waited for an answer. It was completely quiet on the other end, making me a little wary. I twisted the handle of her door, not surprised to find that she had locked that too. Perhaps she just needed a moment to herself.

As I turned to my room, I noticed something off.

Where was Aris?

I had left him out so he could eat while we were gone and he could use his training pads in his crate. But he wasn't anywhere to be seen. It wasn't until I drew closer to my room that I heard his soft whines and scratches from inside my room. Opening the door, I watched as he rushed past me to Ino's door, barking and seemingly desperate to get in.

Confused as to what had gotten into him, I moved to grab him, not wanting to put Ino in a mood worse than the one she was currently in.

Then all of a sudden, I heard noises from inside.

It sounded frantic but it was too muffled for me to make out any words.

Jiggling the handle more, I called Ino again. Still no answer but the noises on the other end of the door weren't reassuring. Getting impatient, I pounded on the door, commanding her to open. Still, nothing. For a second, I thought she was being a brat but a loud thud and scream from the inside had me kicking the door open a moment later.

I didn't know who it was and I didn't have time to think, rushing over as I punched whoever it was that was holding her down onto the floor.

I was on top of them, unable to see their face that was covered by a black mask. We struggled for a bit before he slammed me into the wall. His hand darted to his waist and I was able to make out the faintest gleam of a blade being pulled from it's holster. Knowing I needed to move quick, I brought my heel against his shin hard. Waiting for the right moment when he dropped his head in pain, I brought my elbow up against his chin.

In seconds, he was pinned and I had his blade against his own neck.

Before I could make my next move, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Kakashi.

He didn't give me time to ask questions, simply pulling me off the man whose life I was only seconds away from ending. Helping the guy up, he tugged off his mask, revealing tanned skin with a neatly trimmed beard and well kept black hair to match. "Damn," the man groaned, rolling his shoulder, "The kid hits harder than you do Kakashi and that's saying something."

"They only pick the best of the best Asuma, you oughta know that by now," Kakashi answered cooly before finally looking at me, "You did good kid."

If looks could kill, I swear Kakashi would've been dead a second ago. In a flash, I had him pinned against the wall as I hissed, "Explain.  _Now Kakashi._ " He didn't seem bothered, pulling my arm away with ease, "Assessments. This was only the first. A small one but a lot can happen in a short time. We need to be sure you can shut down things like that in a heartbeat. You did good, four minutes."

"Can we get a fucking heads up next time!" I snapped, losing the last bit of my patience.

I guess that was as much as he was willing to take. Next I know, I've got a knee in my stomach, forcing me to the floor as I fought the urge to heave what was in my stomach. Snatching the collar around my neck, he spoke sternly, "First, I like you Sakura but don't test me. I'm still your higher up, don't forget that. Second, you don't get a warning in real life. You don't pay attention and she's as good as dead as well as you. Wisen up."

He let me go, letting me slip to the floor as he and Asuma left.

I waited until I heard the front door shut before I finally looked at Ino.

I knew Kakashi was just doing his job. I knew. But even still, I couldn't deny the rage fueling in me as I watched Ino tremble in her bed. What kind of father, who was the primary cause of his daughter's trauma, put her through some shit like this? I knew now, that I didn't hate Ino. I couldn't hate her. But I could, without a fucking doubt, hate her father for putting us both through this mess.

Struggling to my feet, I took a step towards her, calling softly.

She shook her head, asking me to leave.

But I couldn't leave. I knew when I wasn't wanted, so it didn't take a lot for me to realize that she didn't want me near her. At the same time, I also knew when I was needed. The way she brokenly asked for me to go was the only indication I needed to know that she needed me to stay. Shrugging off my jacket, I slipped into bed beside, slowly lowering myself onto my back.

I slipped my fingers to hers, gently coaxing until she curled against my side. Then, I repeated the words that I had once whispered to the very first girl who needed my help.

"It's okay to cry Ino."

And she did.

She cried until there were no tears left and even when it was over, I didn't dare leave. I stayed because for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how in the hell she managed to live like this for so long without anyone to calm her in times like these.

It seemed like today, I'd be chalking up another responsibility to my steadily growing list when it came to Ino.


	9. Chapter Nine

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Nine** _

"I wasn't invited Sakura, stop asking."

"Rin…"

"Sakura, enough," Rin silenced me with a soft hand placed carefully over my mouth. Her eyes were as stern as her words as she released a sigh. Lowering her hand from my lips slowly, she took a second to weave her fingers through her hair, mumbling, she said, "I get this is a little nerve wracking but I can't go. It'd be rude to crash a party I wasn't invited to. I'm sure you'll do just fine without me there to bother you."

I frowned, following her from her room as I shut her door behind me.

I had to admit, after finally agreeing to go to Paige's party, I was getting terribly nervous.

It had dawned on me that aside from Paige, I wouldn't know anyone there. While that wasn't a bad thing considering she was great company, I didn't exactly want to follow her around like some lost kid the whole night. My solution? Asking Rin to tag along considering she was the only other person whose company I thoroughly enjoyed.

Unfortunately for me, she wasn't a willing participant in my plan.

"Let me at least text her and ask if it's alright if I bring one person," I suggested, following her into the elevator as we descended until we reached the first floor. I followed each step as we made our way to her car. She had offered to drive me and pick me up so that way she didn't have to worry about me being behind the wheel drunk, not like I had planned to drink anyways. Or rather, not very much.

"No," she abruptly stated, adding the address to her GPS before taking off. So I suppose that was the end of it. She wouldn't go with me no matter what excuse I tried and now we were heading to Paige's place and I was getting anxious. Literally, I'd be trapped for hours surrounded by people I didn't know. Forced to make small talk as to not come off as rude to her other guests. Honestly, just thinking about it was exhausting.

Before I knew it, we were here.

Even with me just sitting outside in the car, I could see from here just how lively it was.

The house was huge enough, at least compared to my old home. There were a group of guys hanging out on the front porch, beers clutched in hand and cigarettes dangling from their lips. I could hear the loud bass from the music all the way out here and with it, the sounds of screaming, cheering and laughter.

If I had to describe it with one word? I'd have to say overwhelming.

I gave Rin a nervous look to which she replied with a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine Sakura, I'm sure," she soothed, giving my hair a quick fix before shoving me out the door. "Stay for at least an hour and if you're still having a shitty time, call me and I'll come back to get you. Alright?" I nodded, still not completely happy with my circumstances.

Literally, the second I exited her car, she was pulling off, literally leaving me stranded.

Feeling extremely nervous, I shoved my hands in my pockets and made my way to the front door. The guys hanging around paid me little attention other than acknowledging my presence enough to move from the door. Stepping inside, it took everything in me to not snatch my phone out and call Rin back right away.

The place was literally crawling with people, some dancing, some drinking, others simply chatting away with other guests.

Scowl on my lips, I pushed my way through the crowd, looking for a space anywhere that would give me enough breathing room. Spotting a vacancy near the back wall, I pushed my way through bodies, pressing my back firmly against the wall the second I made it there. Relieved, I pulled out my phone, texting Paige that I was here just in case she happened to be looking for me.

Nearly a minute after I sent the text, she was messaging me back.

_**.:Omg! I'm outside in the backyard, come find me!** _

I scowled, spotting the backdoor instantly. Reluctantly, I pushed my way through the crowd, muttering apologies until I managed to slip my way outside.

Immediately, I was greeted with the sight of girls and guys alike hanging around in the spacious yard. A few of the guys were posted up against the fence talking to girls while a few of them were playing some sort of game involving a small ball and red plastic cups on a table. People were spread everywhere but I didn't have to wait long before I was being tackled into a hug.

I relaxed, slipping my arm around Paige's slim waist.

"There you are! You made it," she squealed, squeezing me tighter. She pulled away and I could make out the flush of her cheeks and the faintest trace of what I knew to be beer on her breath. Tugging her hair behind her ear, she grinned excitedly, "Did you find your way here okay? I know our house is kinda out the way in these sketch ass woods."

I shook my head, offering her a small smile, "It was fine. Nothing too crazy."

"Good. Want a drink; hungry?" She asked, already tugging my arm to follow her down the back steps and further into the yard. "I ate before I left," I told her, eyeing the other activities taking place in the yard as we approached a table. It was huge and round and in the middle sat a small fire pit. Also at the table, unfortunately for me, were a group of kids, obviously none of whom I recognized. As we drew closer, their eyes shifted from each other to me, making me feel incredibly self conscious. Being the amazing host she was, Paige took it upon herself to introduce me.

"Guys! This is Sakura. We're in our Anatomy class together and she's super chill so I invited her out to our party," she beamed, still holding onto my arm tightly. "Sakura, these are my friends. The guy and girl at the end are twins, Raiden and Ryu. They're on the track team here and Ryu is in my sorority. Lucas is the guy there with the red hair, plays for our football team. Then there's Darius there with the curly black hair and his girlfriend Kristina there, obviously the girl in his lap. Then the other two girls are Haley and Lera, also in my sorority. The guys are all in the same frat so you can see why we all hang out together."

I gave a nervous wave, introducing myself and much to my relief, the others waved back with relaxed expressions.

"You drink Sakura?" Lucas asked, pulling a beer from the cooler beside his feet. I eyed it warily, unsure if I should take it when the girl Kristina shoved him with a scowl. "Dude, peer pressure isn't cool," giving me a grin, she assured, "Don't worry, we're not gonna hound you for not drinking if you don't want."

Feeling slightly relieved, I shook my head, "I'll take one. I don't mind."

"See! I knew she was a trooper," Lucas grinned, cracking open the beer for me before shoving it in my hands. I took a quick swig, feeling it quench my dry throat before nodding. "Good stuff," Lucas added before clearing his throat. "Well, since you're here Sakura, maybe you can help us settle a debate." I arched my brow, eyeing Paige warily but she only gave me a playful grin. Nervous, I asked, "What's up?"

"Okay so listen to this. Our boy Darius here has this dope ass lake house that his parents have as a timeshare. We're trying to convince him that it'd be sick as hell if we could all go up there one weekend and throw a dope ass party. The dilemma? He's not on good terms with his dad so he thinks he'll say no and doesn't want to bother asking," Lucas finished, downing the rest of his beer as he slammed it on the table.

"I told you idiot, there's no fucking point. We can just have it at your place since your parents will already be out of town that weekend for business," Darius mumbled, sipping his beer lazily while squeezing his arm around Kristina's waist. "Yeah but the lake is  _sooo_  much better than my parents' place. More room and definitely more to do!" Lucas chimed in.

All eyes were on me as they expectantly awaited my answer.

A scowl pulled onto my lips as a thought raced through my mind.

Of all the things in the world, their biggest concern was figuring out where to have a party? It said a lot about what kind of homes people grew up in. Obviously they grew up probably in a home a lot similar to Ino's. While probably not nearly as wealthy as she was, it was obvious that they came from upper class homes, parents probably doting on them hand and foot for the most part and showering them with money and expensive items they didn't necessarily need.

I suppose it was truly none of my concern. So, pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind, I sighed, "It's probably worth a shot. The least you can do is ask and if not, then you have Lucas' place to fall back on."

"See!"

The others erupted into laughter, minus Darius who only rolled his eyes and drank more of his beer. Lucas reached out his fist, bumping it with mine with a loose grin, "Hey man, you're cool with me!" I couldn't help but grin, eyeing Paige who beamed excitedly and whispered that her friends seemed to like me.

That came as a huge relief. I wasn't too fond of meeting new people and despite our obvious differences, they didn't seem like bad people.

Swirling my beer around, I pulled it to my lips as I half listened to the rest of their conversation. As their words eventually faded to the background, I found my eyes trailing over to the table with the kids playing their game involving the plastic cups. Out of nowhere, a hand slipped into my free one and I turned to see Paige offering me a small smile, "Wanna check it out?"

I blushed, taking another sip of my beer to avoid answering her.

Instead, she laughed and simply tugged me along over to the group of kids at the table.

We stood off to the side my eyes intently following every move of the game. After a while, I think Paige began to notice my frustration. Leaning into my ear, she whispered, "It's called rage cage. Pretty fun drinking game for nights like this. Essentially, you play like this. You fill up about ten or more with a third of beer and then one in the middle with a full beer. Two people start off with ping pong balls and drink from one of the cups. They have to try and bounce the ball into the cup and then pass it around. If you get yours into the cup before the next person gets their's in, you can stack it and they have to drink. Then you just keep it up until someone has to drink the full cup in the middle. Got it?"

Taking it all in, I nodded slowly, "I think so…"

"Well then...go ahead and give it a shot," Paige grinned, shoving me towards the table.

I gave her a pleading look but she only grinned and wiggled her fingers as one of the guys patted my shoulder. "No worries, it's a pretty easy game to pick up. I'll start of along with Liam at the other end down there and it'll make sense," the kid reassured me with a loose smile. I nodded and watched as they set up the next round. They started the countdown and then the game began. I watched as they drank a respective cup and proceeded to bounce the ball in before passing it around.

Slowly, it all began to make sense and by the time it got around to me, I had it figured out. I quickly made my shot on the first try and passed it around.

The cheers hyped me up and I had to admit, I was feeling pretty good.

The game rolled on and I drank my share of cups meanwhile getting others to do the same. In the end, I ended up getting the last guy to drink and taking a win for the night. The guys told me I played well and asked me to play another round but Paige told them otherwise and managed to drag me away again.

Her fingers remained locked with my own as she pulled me back towards the house, "I'm really glad you decided to come. I know it's probably a lot to take in but most of our parties aren't so wild." I laughed and shook my head, "It's alright, I'm glad I came too." She smiled and tugged me inside. She made sure to hold on tight as we weaved in and out of the crowd until we were heading upstairs.

I didn't think much of it, nearing the end of my beer as she pulled me into what I presumed to be her room.

Shutting the door behind me, she walked over to her window and opened it before crawling through onto the rough. I scowled walking over as I eyed her nervously, "Is this safe? You've been drinking a bit haven't you?" Rolling her eyes, she reached for my hand, "Come on, don't worry. I do this all the time. There's a nice little breeze going up here and plenty of room."

I'm sure it had a lot to do with the beer rushing through my system but regardless, I followed her out onto the roof.

There was plenty of room to sit on so I wasn't exactly concerned about falling. I made sure to sit as close to the window as possible and without wasting a second, Paige crawled to sit between my legs. I began to feel incredibly aware of how close she was, feeling her shift to get closer only made me that much more anxious.

I liked Paige. I thought she was well rounded, funny and undeniably attractive. Still, my job didn't allow me the luxury of indulging in such activities. Sure, it was my weekend off but getting mixed up this early on would only cause problems later on down the line. But damn… she wasn't making things easy for me. She tugged my free hand to wrap around her waist and as I downed the rest of my beer, I found myself in desperate need of another.

We sat in silence for a while, me simply holding her as the light breeze tousled our hair and nipped at our skin.

Finally, she decided to speak, "Can I ask you something? Promise you won't get mad at me?"

"Go ahead," I nudged, closing my eyes as I leaned against the wall by the window, "I won't get mad." She shifted nervously, her hand squeezing mine as she finally asked, "The other day I asked you about that girl, Ino. You said, you guys weren't a thing. You weren't...lying were you?" My hands unintentionally squeezed at her waist as I pulled her against me, "No...I wasn't lying."

"What is she to you then?"

"Where are these questions coming from Paige," I mumbled tiredly.

She was quiet again but I wasn't exactly fond of having this silence anymore. Taking her hand, I turned her around so she was straddling my waist. Her eyes cast off to the side but I wasn't having it, " Look at me," I ordered, taking her chin lightly as I forced her eyes to follow. She bit her lip, eyes slightly unfocused as she voiced softly, "Just tell me. I don't want to overstep my bounds."

Adorable. It was nice that she was being so considerate even though there was no need to be. I wasn't tied down yet and I doubt that would change anytime soon.

"You've got nothing to worry about Paige. You've got all my attention right now," I assured her with a weak smile.

"Prove it…"

I blinked slowly, frown slipping onto my lips. The challenge came as a surprise and yet oddly enough, I felt as if I had almost hoped for it. I could feel my chest pounding as her hands slipped over my shoulders. I squeezed my hands at her waist, pulling her close as I narrowed my eyes. It took little time for me to pull her down and tease her lips before pulling away with a nervous smirk. As I expected, she scratched my neck and pressed her lips against me again with a small whine.

I waited for her to pull away, feeling myself if just a little when she bit her lip and flushed her cheeks.

"I want to go inside," she whispered softly.

"Lead the way," I motioned to the window with a nod.

She climbed through first, waiting for me to follow suit. I watched her with dark eyes as she crept over to her door before locking it shut. I felt my pocket vibrate, pulling out my phone I saw a text from Rin.

_**.:Haven't heard from you yet. Having a good time?** _

"Awfully popular aren't you?"

I glanced up to see Paige closing the gap between us. I gave a sheepish smile, responding to Rin's text before placing my phone down on her dresser. "Jealous?" I teased. She hummed softly, moving her fingers to shrug off my jacket. I helped her, tossing it to the floor before she worked my shirt off next. Biting her lip, she scratched slowly at my toned stomach resulting from years of unnecessary yet appreciated training at the academy.

When her hands began to wander lower, I caught them.

"You next sweetheart," I teased.

Sitting on her bed, I nodded for her to go. Slowly but surely, she began peeling of each article of clothing. Perhaps the alcohol was wearing off because I could see the shift in her demeanor. She suddenly wasn't so bold but we were far past the point of being shy. "All of it Paige," I ordered. Carefully, she began to obey.

I had to say, the end result was definitely impressive.

Before I could make my move, however, another text came through. Then another.

Frowning, I started to go check my phone only for Paige to press me back onto the bed. With a tired sigh, I mumbled, "It might be important." She shook her head, sitting on top of my waist as she pressed her lips against mine in a teasingly slow kiss before moving them to my neck. A weak spot I hadn't quite gotten used to yet.

"Paige," I warned when she started to suck on my throat, "It'll take two seconds."

Voice dripping with a tone that chilled my very core, she whispered, " _Baby_...I don't think I can wait that long."

My eyes were hard as I had her pinned beneath me in seconds. Like clockwork, she was at my ear again, telling me everything I wanted to hear. How wet she was. How badly she wanted me to touch her. How from day one she'd had these outrageous fantasies about the two of us brewing in her mind. Fantasies of me making her scream my name over and over again. And the longer her words continued to spill out, the more eager I was to make it all her fantasies come true.

I was never known to disappoint after all.

I surely didn't plan on starting now.

* * *

"You're loud. Just hold on a second and I'll be down," I managed to say through a large yawn.

Rin had called and I had rushed up to grab my phone so that I could silence it before it woke Paige because while I was nothing short of savage in my pursuit last night, I was a firm believer in having some sort of manners. After all, it was  _my_ fault she was so exhausted in the first place. Not that either of us were complaining.

Slipping my jeans back on and shrugging my shirt over my head, I snatched the remainder of my things and made a reach for the door, only to be stopped by the most seductively exhausted voice I'd ever heard. "Just going to leave without a goodbye?" Paige called softly, eyelids peeling to reveal her olive green eyes revealing a faint golden tint from the sun beginning to peek through her window.

"Goodbye?" I grinned, watching the scowl slip onto her lips.

"You know what I mean Sakura…"

Funny how after just one night, she was already making it clear that she held some sort of hold over me. Sitting my stuff down for just a moment, I strode over slowly, resting one knee on the bed, feeling it dip beneath my weight. Glancing over her shoulder, she grinned and bit her lip as she was so accustomed to doing in front of me, attracting my attention to them instantly.

My phone began to ring again but the feel of her soft lips against mine had me far more occupied.

She smirked against my lips, gasping when I slipped my fingers between her legs.

It was short but effective and instantly I felt the desire to relive last night all over again. "I gotta go," I mumbled against her neck before pulling away altogether, "Rin only has so much patience when it comes to me." Her irritated huff only forced me to laugh before I finally managed to slip out completely.

Making my way downstairs, I was almost disgusted by the amount of trash left over. Bottles and cans, boxes of pizza and things of the like were strewn about everywhere. Guess Paige and her roommates would spend the rest of the day returning the place to its normal state, a task I didn't envy one bit.

Shutting the front door behind me, I spotted Rin looking none too happy with me, as expected.

I climbed in, offering her an apologetic half smile as compensation but she only rolled her eyes and pulled off.

"Fun night I'm assuming?" She finally asked, halfway through the ride home. "Obvious?" I curiously asked, brow raised slightly at the suggestion. Not even including the more  _intimate_  moments of last night, overall, I had a pretty good time. It was nice, to experience a college party, and though slightly overwhelming, once I found a group to hang with, things ran pretty smoothly.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," I admitted.

She nodded, saying nothing further but the frown on her face left room for belief that there was something I was missing.

"You good?"

"Fine," she answered curtly, bringing us into the parking lot of our base before getting out without another word. Seriously? I had to be onto something here because obviously she was a little upset about something. What? I had no clue and if she was just going to continue to be like this, then figuring out what, was essentially a lost cause.

So we rode up the elevator, exchanging no words to each other. We took the same route, ignoring the onlooking stares from the few people fooling around in the kitchen as we headed to our rooms. Mine was first and before she could storm off, I snatched her arm and asked, "What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. Let go," she hissed coldly.

Of all the people here, she was the number one I wanted to keep on my good side. Reluctantly, I let her go.

She stared at me for a while, frown deep as she shook her head with a sigh. Finally, she mumbled, "What are your intentions with that girl?" Eyes narrowing, I parted my lips to ask her what she meant but she gave me a look that challenged me to try and play dumb. Voice low, I replied, "Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I didn't force her to do anything and I'm not using her if that's what you're hinting at."

She was quiet once more, our eyes locked in a silent debate before she pulled away first.

"Training is at 1200, if you didn't get any sleep, I advise you to do it now," she added, turning on her heel and disappearing around the corner.

I let my eyes linger for just a moment, rolling them at her childish behavior. Something completely out of character for her. Once in my room, I glanced over at the clock, noting the bright green neon colored numbers reading 07:38. Feeling a tad bit tired, I collapsed on my back, checking my phone for messages. I responded to one from Paige, feeling my ego inflate more than it already was.

In the process, I noticed a missed text from last night.

It was from Ino.

Opening it with a frown, I read it feeling my heart picking up speed at the same time.

_**.:Hey, are you busy? I have a favor to ask…** _

_**.:Nevermind, pretend I didn't say anything.** _

I could only have one guess as to what she could have possibly needed me for that no one else was capable of doing. The thought alone made my stomach churn anxiously as I texted her to ask if she was okay. As I continued to lay there, hours passing by until I was getting whisked away for training, I could only hope that she hadn't allowed herself to spend the night alone.

I needed to get back, fast.


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter Ten** _

I noticed several things wrong when I returned to our apartment.

The first? Aris didn't greet me at the door as he was accustomed to doing.

The second? It was quiet, eerily quiet.

I called out, alerting any occupants that I was here just in case someone wanting to try something. Growing slightly restless when I didn't hear anything, I relaxed when I spotted Jonas napping on the couch. I crept around, softly tapping his shoulder as he began to stir. Almost immediately, he remembered where he was as he shot up with wide eyes and bowed before me.

"Forgive me! I was a little exhausted is all and I meant to only shut my eyes for a second when-"

I quickly placed my hand over his mouth, giving him a tired look. "Relax Jonas, I'm not here to rat you out. I could honestly care less about you taking a nap. Where's Ino and Aris?" I asked, lowering my hand slowly as he began to settle back down. Nodding, he offered a thank you and pointing a stubby finger towards my room, "Ah, I believe the young lady fell asleep in your quarters last night. Aris must've accompanied her inside. I don't think either of them have woken yet."

Knowing Aris, I knew there was no way that he had slept for that long. The little monster could barely sit for a few minutes at best.

The part I was more intrigued about, however, was the fact that Ino had fallen asleep in my room.

I bowed to him, turning on my heel as I made my way back towards my room. Twisting the knob slowly, I peeked inside. Sure enough, Ino lay wrapped in my sheets her back facing me as soft breaths filled my room. Suddenly, I managed to spot Aris' head resting on top of her hip as he watched me. It was amazing, he didn't so much as move a single muscle to greet me. Instead, he blinked softly, keeping his head propped on Ino as I neared the bed.

I couldn't help but smile softly, running my fingers through his fur as I scratched at his ears. "You kept an eye on Ino for me last night, huh? Good boy," I praised him, watching as his tail wagged only slightly as he nuzzled my hand. From what I could guess, Ino must've slipped in my room at some point and found Aris. Perhaps in the midst of an episode, he had soothed her until she fell asleep.

Rather than running off or making a bunch of noise, he must've understood what was happening. So for hours it would seem, he had simply stayed put by her side.

Surely he had to be hungry, or perhaps he needed to relieve himself.

I nodded towards the door, motioning for him to follow but he didn't budge.

He sighed, shifting his head only slightly before fixing me with that same bored look. Frowning, I reached for his collar, tugging only slightly when a soft growl passed his lips. I drew my hand back, chuckling softly when I understood what was happening. He was protecting her already. A half pint pup like him was already willing to fend off anyone who so much as disturbed her from a little nap. Scratching my neck, I gave in with a small smile, "Alright boy, you win."

Dropping my bags softly on the floor, I lay down beside Ino, careful not to move too much. I wanted to check and make sure she was alright but that could wait until she woke up.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, thumb swiping across the screen to check my messages.

Sure enough, I had one from Paige.

_**.:Last night was...amazing. ;) I'm getting wet just thinking about it. Let's hang out again soon, okay?** _

I groaned softly, unable to think coherently enough to form a response. Though I had to admit I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I couldn't help but think of how I had left Ino hanging like that. Of course, had I known the texts coming in last night were from her, I would've quickly called Rin back around but Paige wasn't having it and I was a little caught up to give it too much thought.

All of a sudden, a small whine beside me had me shooting up.

I pressed my hand against Ino's waist, pulling her against me as I whispered that I was here.

Slowly, her eyes peeled open as she craned her head to face me. "You're back," she rasped out tiredly. I nodded, eyes hard as I watched her roll over to face me. "I'm sorry," I quickly apologized, chest tightening as dried tear trails appeared on her cheeks. "You were crying," I whispered back, unable to stop my fingers from reaching for her face.

She stopped them, her grip on my wrists firm, "Don't. Please."

I dropped them, albeit reluctantly.

Drawing in a slow breath, she apologized for intruding in on my room. Climbing over me, she made a move to leave but I stopped her again. "When did you last eat?" I asked, frown etching onto my lips when she didn't respond immediately.

"I'll eat when I'm hun-"

"Ino. When?" I abruptly cut her off.

"Around noon yesterday…"

Fuck. She needed to eat, soon. Hopping up, I snatched my car keys and mumbled for her to follow. She shook her head, resisting when I tugged on her arm. "Ino, you need to eat.  _Now,_ " I warned. She kept resisting and I kept tugging until I began to feel her tremble under my grip. Surely I wasn't pulling her hard enough to hurt her. Her eyes were pleading as they began to gloss over and I immediately let go. "Please," she begged softly, "I don't want to go out. I just want to stay here, please?"

"Ino," I started, tossing my keys back inside my room, "You need to eat."

She fidgeted there, eyes cast upon the floor. Rubbing my neck, I sighed as I offered up another idea, "At least let me make you something. It's going on damn near three and you haven't eaten in well over twenty four hours Ino. Something small, that's all I ask. A sandwich? Soup? Something?"

Thankfully, it seemed she wasn't against the idea of eating as a whole. Just going outside.

With a slow nod, she gave in. "Sandwich okay?" I asked, motioning for her to sit on the couch.

She nodded again, claiming that she wasn't picky when I asked what kind she wanted. Feeling a little famished myself, I decided to make one for me as well. The entire time I worked, I would flick my eyes back to her stiff form. It made me restless but I wouldn't force her to behave a certain way if she wasn't feeling up to it.

Setting a plate in front of her, I made sure she took at least one bite before I bit into mine. I assumed it wasn't awful considering she ate most of it but she didn't seem thoroughly amazed. Oh well, it's not like I had inherited any of my mother's cooking skill. Simply recipes that I had remembered bits and pieces of that had managed to get me by before Lina took me in.

Finishing my plate, I found my eyes resting on Ino once more.

She no longer seemed hungry but I'd settle for the fact she ate most of it. Better to have something in her stomach than nothing at all. However, I just couldn't get past the fact that she seemed so out of it. She seemed like she wanted to say something but it wasn't easy to read. Finally, I asked, "Are you still tired? I didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm...just not feeling well," she admitted, rubbing her arms slowly as she stared blankly at the half eaten food in front of her.

"You can go back to sleep if you want Ino. Take my bed again if you need to, I'll clean up in here and kick it while you rest." Standing up, I picked up our plates and made a move for the kitchen but her hand kept me in place. I frowned, watching her bite her lip as she avoided my gaze. Before I could ask, she begged softly, "I don't want to sleep alone again."

My heart ached knowing that it was my fault that she was feeling like this.

Sitting the plates back down, I took her hand and pulled her up. I moved towards her room but she tugged me back to my own.

Aris hadn't moved from my bed, watching us with a curious look as Ino climbed in first. I told her I'd join her but I desperately needed to shower. I'm sure I reeked of sweat and other things and that was no way to share a bed with a girl. She looked slightly upset but allowed me to go when I promised to be quick.

A quick scrub down and wash of my hair took only a few minutes and I dried my hair the best I could without messing around with a dryer.

Finally, I emerged, finding her sitting there, eyes on me as I shut the door to my room. She waited for me to crawl in and immediately, pressed herself against me. I slipped my fingers against her waist, chin resting atop her head as she bunched my shirt in her fingers. For some reason, I found myself apologizing again for missing her texts last night.

She assured me that it was fine but I knew otherwise.

Her words that followed afterwards made my chest tighten tremendously.

"I just...I sleep better with you here. I don't have the nightmares when you're with me. It's selfish to ask that of you so I tried to brush it off last night. You shouldn't have to deal with me when you've got other things to worry about," she mumbled into my neck, causing me to swallow tightly.

Fingers tightening against her waist, I replied softly, "Things are different now Ino. Sure, I get paid to protect you but even now, I'm doing this because I want to." Eyes narrowing at the wall in front of me, I whispered, "Anytime you need me, I should be there. I'm saying this, not as your guard but as a friend."

"We're not friends Sakura," she sighed against me.

I didn't answer, relaxing my grip only slightly.

I knew what she meant. I didn't find offense in her words because what she said was technically true. We weren't friends. Even this little act proved nothing more than a simple dependence that she had on me that I gave into. I wasn't even sure that our relationship could progress past us being nothing more than me being her guard and she the girl I was hired to protect.

Eventually, I felt her lips near my ear as she admitted again, "We're not friends but...I want us to be more than what we are now."

Scratching her waist, I waited for her soft snores to fill the room before I whispered into her hair, "Me too, Ino."

Everything else faded into the background as I followed her lead and gave into my own exhaustion.

* * *

"How's she been?"

"A little spacey here and there but other than that, I think she's okay."

Ayame and I hung back, our steps slow as Sasuke and Ino walked ahead of us. Ayame had mentioned she wanted to talk to me and while I was hesitant to be anywhere too far from Ino, I agreed, knowing it was important. They were friends dating far back so it made sense that she would be concerned what with them only being able to meet every so often.

After classes, they all decided to go for a little walk and explore some of the sights around campus. I could tell Ino wasn't up to it but some air would do her some good.

So I allowed her to walk with Sasuke, knowing that other than me, he was just as qualified to fight off anyone who threatened her. Meanwhile, Ayame and I kept our distance, catching up and talking about how Ino had been faring. As we talked, questions began pooling in my mind and with the perfect source standing right beside me, who better to ask?

"Hey...Ayame. What was Ino like, growing up? Before everything happened?" I asked softly so that only she could hear.

Her eyes flickered up to Ino, a small smile pulling as she whispered, "She was your average kid. She was Daddy's little girl and she adored her mother. Friendly, compassionate, really bubbly personality and always fun to be around." I watched her expression darken, no doubt, thinking about the tragedy that had unfolded.

"After everything went down, she became quiet and distant. As she got older, she became cold-hearted. She stopped letting people in and would use that fake snobby personality to make people hate her. For some it worked in keeping them away. For others, like you, it didn't," she finished.

"I'm no one special, I only witnessed her having a moment. If anything, I figured she'd hate me more," I admitted.

"With Ino, it's a little different. You saw her at her lowest and therefore, you have more of a hold on her than you think. She can't pretend to be all big and bad when in her eyes, you've already seen her biggest flaw," Ayame finished with a sigh, "But for what it's worth, whatever it is you're doing for her seems to help. I can tell she finds your company soothing. I'm sure she'll open up a bit more in due time."

I nodded, having little to say.

Granted, she did admit that me being there put her at ease but I didn't read too much into it.

I did manage to catch how she said she wanted us to be friends. Perhaps...perhaps that was something I could work with. I could get to know her, open up a little about myself and maybe she'd be inclined to follow. After all, if we were going to be spending the next four and half years or so together, it'd be a little easier if we actually had some sort of title to put on this relationship.

"I can tell you're thinking," Ayame chimed in, interrupting my thoughts with a small giggle, "I have a little hint for you. Ino's really into music. Maybe if you're lucky, she'll sing for you. Girl's got an amazing voice. Her father discouraged it since it wasn't going to benefit the family business but it was something she did with her mom so it means a lot to her. Keep that in mind, hm?" She patted my shoulder before bounding up, pressing herself between Ino and Sasuke.

Sasuke was clearly annoyed but Ino looked nothing short of relieved.

Of course Ayame had been picking up on her signals of distress and had immediately come to her aid.

God knows what kind of trash he was whispering in Ino's ear. Of all things, I'm sure flirting around was the last on her to do list. The girl had a million and one other things going on and I'm sure she didn't need that crap. Suddenly, Ayame gave me a look, nodding her head towards Ino.

Taking the hint, I moved to her other side, leaning in to whisper if she was ready to go home.

Giving me a small smile, she nodded.

"Alright, I'm gonna get Ino home. It's starting to get late," I told Ayame and Sasuke. Scoffing but otherwise accepting the plan, Sasuke pulled Ino into a soft hug, his lips pressing against her cheek before he beckoned for Naruto to follow. I had almost forgotten he was there, along with Rin. Neither of them had really spoken to me this whole time which was fine. Ayame proved perfect company and with my eyes on Ino the whole time, everyone else didn't matter right then.

A slight tug on my jacket forced my attention as Ino gave me a concerned look. I gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know I was fine as I guided her back to the car, giving only a nod at Ayame and Rin as a farewell.

As we walked back, I would take note of the way Ino's brows would furrow as she seemed to ponder something.

Curious as always, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking."

"About?"

A small pause, "Sasuke."

I frowned, wondering what had brought that on. I didn't exactly care about the small details as to why he was on her mind but I encouraged her to voice it anyway. "He makes me nervous," she admitted silently. "How so?" I asked, genuinely becoming intrigued by her response. She bit her lip, stopping me with a pull on my arm.

"I don't know what his motives are. He texts me all the time and always tries to hang out but I can't bring myself to respond some days. Does he just want to sleep with me or is he simply interested in cutting a deal to get part of my father's company? It could be either and neither of the two are exactly a good thing," she finished in one breath. Her eyes seemed to look to my own for some sort of answer. I didn't have anything that I think would help but it couldn't hurt to try.

Rubbing my neck as we wandered aimlessly, I chimed in, "I'm in no position to say this but something doesn't sit well with me about him. Uchiha's in general are the kind you need to be careful with. It makes sense that he unsettles you. Kid makes my skin crawl too. Doesn't matter either way because you're not going to be anywhere near him without me watching him like a hawk."

I gave her a stern look following my words, watching with confusion as she quickly looked away, her neck turning red slowly.

Shrugging it off, I asked, "Is that all? Anything else on your mind?"

She avoided my eyes for a little longer before she asked, "There's one store I want to check out, if it's not too much trouble?"

Shaking my head, I urged her to lead the way. I kept my hands nestled in my pockets as I walked beside her. We didn't have to walk far and when I looked around the store, I almost laughed. Ayame was right, of course Ino had walked me right into a music store. It was actually a lot bigger than I expected. Two levels, filled with CDs, tapes and all kinds of instruments.

I watched Ino, noticing her eyes grow wide with excitement.

Almost immediately, she walked off forcing me to keep up with her quick steps. She made her way to the back corner where several guitars were strung up. We walked through the aisles, Ino's pace slow as her fingers traced over them. "They're beautiful," she whispered, plucking the strings on one of them with a smile.

"Do you play?" I asked curiously.

She paused, drawing her hand back slowly with a frown. "I don't think I can, not anymore. It's been so long," she voiced softly.

Well that had me curious. Not only did she have some experience with instruments, according to Ayame, she had a voice on her as well. I was pretty curious to witness both but I knew the chance of witnessing either was incredibly unlikely.

Her eyes seemed to linger on one guitar in particular. It was wooden with a glossy mahogany finish. "Doesn't hurt to try," I offered the idea loosely, watching her eyes narrow as she shook her head. It seemed that she just wasn't up to it and I was starting to think it all had something to do with her parents. After all, Ayame had mentioned that it was an activity that she liked to enjoy with her mother but her father didn't condone.

Bittersweet memories I'm sure.

Before she could get too deep in thought, I gently pulled her along outside the store. The car ride back home was silent but not awkwardly so. I convinced Ino to let me go inside first. After the little stunt Kakashi pulled last time, I refused to let her go in before me. It would have all been the same had I actually killed someone but knowing Lord Inoichi, I'm sure he'd have no problem with that when it came to Ino's safety.

I motioned for Ino to keep close to me as I did a quick check over our rooms. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I relaxed when Aris came bounding around the corner excitedly.

Of course he completely bolted past me and straight into Ino's arms as she lifted him from the floor with a smile.

Rolling my eyes, I paused when I heard a stern voice from the living room. I recognized it immediately and watched as a nervous look crossed Ino's face as well. She quickly placed Aris onto the floor and smoothed out her clothes before heading in. I followed behind her quietly, both of us halting as Lord Inoichi sat upon the sofa, swirling around a brown liquid in a small glass.

He smiled slowly, rising to his feet as he closed the distance between himself and Ino.

He pressed his lips against her forehead, brushing her hair behind her ear as he asked, "There you are, I was wondering when you'd get back. How's my little girl?"

"I'm well Daddy. I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized tightly.

"Where were you?"

Ino gave me a pleading look and I understood immediately. Surely we couldn't mention that we were just out checking around stores and whatnot. Her education was his only concern and he wouldn't tolerate hearing that she was doing anything other than that. Clearing my throat, I bowed my head and mumbled, "The Young Lord Sasuke Uchiha wished to meet with her to discuss business proposals, My Lord. I accompanied her and she requested time to think over their meeting. I brought her straight home afterwards."

I could feel his eyes burning through me as I rose once more. Facing Ino, he asked if my words were in fact true.

"Yes Sir," she nodded, "I'm still thinking on some things and I'll write out a report and have them sent to you for your advice." Taking a swig of his drink, he smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "That's my girl. The boy would definitely be a good asset to the company. I'll look forward to that report," he finished, "Sadly, I cannot stay. I've got a flight in the morning so I'll need to make my way back to the estate."

They bid their farewells but before he left, Lord Inoichi stopped me.

Leaning into my ear, he mumbled, "I heard you did well in protecting Ino the other day during your assessment. A bonus has been added to your pay and if you keep up the work, there's more where that came from. However, I have another request for you."

"Sir?"

"Under any circumstances, you are to make sure that the proposals between the Yamanaka and Uchiha corporations are a success. Understood?" He asked.

Throat dry as I forced my argument, I said, "My Lord, I have reason to believe that Lord Sasuke's interest in your daughter extends far past that of business. Perhaps it would be in her best interest if we kept their conversations strictly related to business so that she may focus on her studies."

He stared me down for a long time.

Licking his lips, he chuckled and in a voice that made me sick, whispered, "I'll repeat myself only once, Sakura. Under  _any_ circumstances, you are to ensure the proposals go through. Either get it done, or I'll find someone who can. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Sir." I bit through clenched teeth.

Nodding, he pulled away and left us alone. It took me only a few seconds to snap back but Ino remained glued to her spot. I'm sure she had caught our conversation and with a sigh, I ushered her to her room. She crawled in bed, curling on her side as I sat at the end of her bed. I could tell she was thinking and while I wanted to help, I didn't think there was much I could say at this point.

Sigh parting my lips, I pulled out my phone and texted the only other person I could count on to help.

* * *

"We'll crash here again tonight, if that's alright with you?"

"Yeah. Thanks for getting here so fast. Hopefully I didn't bother you," I mumbled, holding the door open for Ayame and a tired looking Rin. Other than myself, Ayame was the only person I trusted with Ino. This seemed like something the two of them could talk about and hopefully she could make her feel a little better than I could.

Rolling her eyes, she gave me playful nudge, "Ino's practically a sister to me. It's no trouble at all when it comes to her. Plus, it's the least I can do when you deal with her more regularly than I do."

I nodded, allowing her to move past me into Ino's room, shutting the door behind her carefully.

Rin didn't speak to me, moving to the living room as she stretched out on the couch. With nothing better to do, I followed behind her, hands shoved in my pockets as I stared her down. "What's with you," I mumbled, frown on my lips when she didn't answer.

"Rin…"

"I'm not in the mood Haruno," she mumbled tiredly.

Ever since she'd picked me up from Paige's place the other day, she'd been giving me a hard time. I wasn't sure exactly but with the circumstances surrounding it, I felt like it had a lot to do with Paige herself. I should've bit my tongue and ignored her but she was the first person I spoke with when I got here and I didn't want to get on her bad side just yet.

Shifting on my heels, I asked, "What do you have against Paige?"

Her eyelids peeled back slowly but the look she shot me was intense, "What are you talking about?"

I wasn't in the mood for playing games and this attitude was starting to rub me the wrong way. "Rin, you've been giving me the biggest fuck off vibes since I came back from Paige's house. I don't know why but the only assumption I have is that you have something against her. Why?"

Sitting up slowly, she stood from the couch, fishing for something in her jacket pocket. I saw the pack of cigarettes, nose scrunching immediately as she brushed past me out to the patio.

Surely she didn't think that this was over?

I followed her steps, shutting the door behind us.

She took a drag, pulling it from her lips as a trail of smoke blew forth into the cool evening air. It was only early September or so but it was already starting to get chilly. I'm sure it had more to do with the fact that we were up north and things always seemed to get colder more quickly up here. Still, no amount of chilly air could compare to the damn near freezing shoulder I was getting from Rin. Whatever her deal was, we were going to figure out tonight and end it.

"Am I right or not?" I asked plainly.

"No. You're not," she replied with the same lack of enthusiasm.

"So enlighten me," I said, leaning beside her against the rail, "What did I do?"

She sighed, shaking her head as she avoided my gaze. Finishing up her little smoke break, she turned to leave but I refused to let her walk away from this. I pinned her back against the rail, eyes hard as I repeated again, "What did I do, Rin?"

"Let it go," she mumbled tiredly, trying to push me away but to no avail, "It's nothing important." Despite the situation, I found myself smirking as I joked, "I highly doubt that. Otherwise you wouldn't be giving me such a hard time. Just say it." She chewed her lip, looking away from me. I found myself taking her chin, carefully guiding her eyes back to me.

"Rin…"

"I...I just didn't want to be wrong about you. I didn't think you were the type to just hook up with girls like it was nothing. I...I don't know," she whispered softly and I dropped my hands slowly. Is that what this was about? I suddenly recalled her words from the other day, asking me what my intentions were with Paige.

I didn't know why but I felt the need to explain myself a bit to her.

With a sigh and a nervous rub at my neck, I told her, "I'm not some sort of sex crazed deviant Rin. I don't sleep around with anyone just for the sake of it. She's literally the second girl I've been with ever. I assure you that those weren't my intentions when you dropped me off. I honestly expected to call you sooner. She introduced me to her friends. I drank a little bit but I'm pretty much a lightweight and she started to get really close. Things just kind of happened. I doubt she'll get attached and even if she does, I'll be straightforward. Nothing can happen with me and her. I'm with Ino everyday of the week except Saturdays and then with training and such, it's a recipe for disaster."

She didn't say anything and that unsettled me.

I didn't want her to think I was some sort of player like many people seemed to be these days.

With this kind of job, hormones had to be kind of reigned in and even then, I didn't have a very high drive unless things just escalated to that point. However, what I was concerned about from all this was that she was so worried about me being that person. But why? I didn't get the vibe that she was into me. I figured we were just borderline developing friends. I didn't see a reason to bother with the sex lives of my friends and saw little reason for her to be concerned with mine.

Unless there was more to the story that she wasn't letting on.

Regardless, she simply mumbled an okay and walked back inside.

She made a move to lie down on the couch but I stopped her, "Just use my bed." She shook her head but I wasn't going to be putting up with this stubborn attitude all night. If I had to admit, I was pretty beat myself. Today wasn't exhausting in particular but I was suddenly feeling pretty drained. I pulled her back up, tugging her along and ignoring her complaints the entire time.

I shut my door behind us, nodding for her to help herself to any of my clothes so she could have something to sleep in.

Again, she went for the jacket I had hanging up that she had worn last time. However, unlike last time, I didn't look away as she changed. Yet, just like last time, she didn't seem to mind the attention.

I waited for her to climb in, sliding in beside her. We locked eyes the whole time and I couldn't say I was surprised when she reached up her hand to scratch at my neck. It was beginning to dawn on me that maybe, just maybe, the reason for the sudden harsh treatment was because she was perhaps just a little jealous.

And that was dangerous.

I didn't need my ego boosted any further.

Yet it was clear that I loved to torture myself. It took less than a second for me to pin her down, lips descending to her neck. Her soft gasps and scratches at my back were bliss and every whine and shaky intake of breath were driving me insane. It took everything in me not to keep going but neither of us were disappointed.

We understood that we didn't need to rush anything. We were just glad the air was clear. All that was left? To figure out where things between us were going to go from here. And if I were being completely honest?

I wasn't the least bit opposed to the route they were headed.

* * *


End file.
